The capital of A Limia, in southern Ourense: home of the Entroido carnival, the Festa do Esquecemento, the Torre da Pena and the Bon Xesús convent of Trandeiras, on the edge of the former Lagoa de Antela.
Xinzo de Limia is the most populous concello (municipality) and the capital of the A Limia district, in the south of the province of Ourense. The town grew up in the middle of a plain crossed by the river Limia, beside the vanished Lagoa de Antela, and is best known for its Entroido (traditional Galician carnival), a Festival of International Tourist Interest, for the Festa do Esquecemento and for two outstanding monuments: the Torre da Pena and the convent of Bon Xesús de Trandeiras [4][5][18].
The population grew through much of the 20th century, from 5,622 in 1900 to 10,200 in 1950, and has stayed at around ten thousand ever since [4][1].
Landscape
The municipality covers the north-western quarter of the Alta Limia. It is mostly flat, broken to the north by the block of Alto da Pena and Monte da Medorra, at Trandeiras, which reach 758 m and separate the Limia valley from the old lagoon lands; to the south the slopes rise above 800 m at the head of the Rego da Ribeira and the river Nocedo [5]. Since the draining of Antela, the river system has been organised around the Limia, which crosses the municipality with very little gradient, so flooded meadows are common in winter; on its left bank it is joined by the Faramontaos, the Nocedo, the Rego dos Arnos and the Rego da Ribeira [5][4]. Xinzo is also a road hub, crossed by the A-52 and the N-525 [5].
History
The Limici and the Forum Limicorum debate
In Roman times this land belonged to the Limici, and the location of their capital, the Forum Limicorum, is still debated. Scholarly tradition, since Pedro González de Ulloa in the 18th century, placed it at the Cidá of Nocelo da Pena (Sarreaus); finds in the town of Xinzo made it the other main candidate [4][6]. Archaeological work in the town centre since 2002 has recorded significant Roman material [7]. Manuel García Valdeiras, who reviewed both hypotheses in Minius, considers that the Cidá still offers the best prospects and that the results from Xinzo are inconclusive [6]. Remains of Roman road XVIII, which linked Braga and Astorga, also survive in the north of the municipality [4].
Middle Ages: border and towers
Its position on the border shaped the Middle Ages. In 1130 Afonso Henriques of Portugal occupied A Limia, and after the disaster of Badajoz in 1169 he had to return it to Ferdinand II of León [4]. The Torre da Pena, also known as the castle of A Portela or A Porteliña, is the great witness to that era: according to Adolfo Taboada Sanz it was founded by Ruy Páez de Biedma and passed to the Zúñiga family, lords of Monterrei, in 1406 through the marriage of Elvira de Biedma and Diego López de Zúñiga; after a long lawsuit, a ruling of 1610 awarded it to the count of Lemos [8]. An undocumented tradition says Inés de Castro was born there, and the tower served as a prison until the mid-18th century [9]. In 2021 the Xunta began a full project to excavate and restore the site [10]. See Torre da Pena.
Trandeiras, a convent between Gothic and Renaissance
The Franciscan convent of Bon Xesús de Trandeiras grew out of devotion to apparitions of the Virgin. According to Edelmiro Martínez Cerredelo, work began in February 1520, promoted by the prior Alonso de Piña and directed by the Portuguese master builder Bartolomé de Nosendo, and in December 1523 the church was handed over to the Franciscans [11]. The building suffered fires in 1669 and 1813 and damage by French troops; after the confiscation of church property in 1836 it passed to the State and then into private hands, until the Concello bought it in 1990 [12]. In October 2026 the Xunta declared it a Site of Cultural Interest in the monument category, including the cloister, outbuildings, water systems, woodland and five altarpieces [13]. See Trandeiras monastery.
From the 19th to the 20th century
On 23 February 1809 local people fought Napoleon’s troops at the bridge of Xinzo; the French entered the town that afternoon and the Santa Mariña register of deaths records more than 400 civilian victims [14]. The municipality of Moreiras, created in 1836, was merged into Xinzo de Limia on 9 January 1927, giving the municipality its present boundaries [15]. Between 1911 and 1925 the town had as many as six newspapers of its own, from El Eco Antelano to El Pueblo Antelano[17]. Mid-century brought the deepest change: the draining of the Lagoa de Antela, declared "of high national interest" by the Law of 27 December 1956 and carried out from 1958, transformed the landscape and the farming economy [16].
Heritage highlights
Torre da Pena, in A Pena parish, overlooking the whole plain [5][8].
Convent of Bon Xesús de Trandeiras, with its Gothic-Plateresque doorway and a cloister of twenty-eight ogee arches [5][13].
Old church of Santa Mariña, 12th century, with a Romanesque doorway, in the town [5].
Faramontaos bridge, or Poldras bridge, medieval, on the old road between the Monterrei valley and A Limia [5].
Vernacular stone architecture, with cruceiros (traditional stone crosses), petos de ánimas (wayside shrines for the souls), watermills and cabaceiros (wicker granaries) [5].
Festivals and pilgrimages
The municipality’s festival calendar follows fixed rules, according to the Concello’s own list [19]:
Entroido: a five-week cycle before Lent, starting with the Petardazo (the rocket that opens the cycle) on the Saturday before Fareleiro Sunday and ending on Domingo de Piñata; its title of Festival of International Tourist Interest was granted by Resolution of 14 January 2019 [4][18]. See Entroido of Xinzo.
San Sebastián, 20 January, in the town; San Brais, 3 February, in Laroá [19].
Festa das Flores, on the first weekend of June, in Trandeiras [19].
San Xoán, 24 June, in Guntimil and the Polígono district; San Pedro, 29 June, in A Pena, Laroá and Boado [19].
Santa Mariña, patron saint of the municipality, around 18 July, in the town [19].
Festa do Esquecemento (Festival of Oblivion), on the second-to-last weekend of August, organised since 2001 by the Civitas Limicorum cultural association [19][20]. See Festa do Esquecemento.
San Bartolomeu, 23 August, in Ganade; Os Remedios, 9 September, in Novás; Our Lady of Sorrows, 15 September, in Moreiras [19].
Xinzo fair, on the 14th and 27th of every month; the 14 May fair was the traditional Feira das Mozas (young women’s fair) [19][21].
According to the INE register at 1 January 2025, 9,699, just over half the population of the district [1].
How many parishes does the municipality have?
Twenty, according to the Nomenclátor de Galicia, with 35 population centres [3].
Was the Forum Limicorum in Xinzo?
It is a strong but unconfirmed hypothesis: the town’s finds compete with the Cidá of Nocelo da Pena (Sarreaus), which authors such as García Valdeiras still regard as the most likely candidate [6].
When is the Entroido of Xinzo?
It fills the five weeks before Lent; the main days run from Friday to Shrove Tuesday, and the cycle closes on Domingo de Piñata [4].
What can you visit at Trandeiras?
The convent of Bon Xesús, founded in 1523, with its church still in use and the cloister, declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2026 [11][13].
When is the Santa Mariña festival?
Around 18 July, the feast of the municipality’s patron saint [19].
A Gardia Civil, xunto á policía portuguesa GNR, realizou unha operación este venres pola mañá para investigar a venda de produtos falsificados en Xinzo de Limia e Verín.
O operativo comezou cara ás 6:00 horas e contou co apoio dun helicóptero e de unidades caninas. Para poder entrar nos edificios, os axentes forzaron as portas de varias propiedades.
Os puntos onde se actuou foron:
Verín: os portais 108 e 77 da avenida de Portugal.
Xinzo de Limia: o portal 66 da avenida de Madrid.
Debido ao…
Xuntanza de palilleiras, na súa edición do 2025 BASILIO BELLO
É 7 de novembro, e a actividade non é infinita, pero case. Teatro, música, magostos, artesanía, ciencia e máis
07 nov 2026 . Actualizado a las 05:00 h.
Que facer un sábado 7 de novembro? Na Costa da Morte hai un mundo de opcións, e ademais para gustos diversos. Así se presenta a xornada na comarca en canto a actividade cultural e de ocio:
Vimianzo,…
A Guardia Civil e a GNR portuguesa realizaron este venres unha serie de registros en Xinzo de Limia, Verín e A Gudiña. A investigación podería estar relacionada coa venda de produtos falsificados.
Aínda que a policía non puido dar detalles porque o caso está en secreto de sumario (unha medida legal que impede dar información sobre o proceso), as sospeitas apuntan á falsificación de mercadorías e non a billetes falsos.
Os puntos máis destacables da operación foron:
Xinzo de Limia: Axentes con…
A Garda Civil e a policía portuguesa (GNR) despregaron este venres un amplo operativo en Xinzo de Limia, Verín e A Gudiña para investigar delitos contra a propiedade industrial.
As autoridades están a rexistrar varios inmobles nos tres concellos, unha actuación que se atopa baixo segredo de sumario, o que significa que a información sobre a investigación non se pode facer pública polo momento.
Estes son os detalles máis importantes do dispositivo:
Onde: As inspeccións céntranse na Avenida de…
O Concello de Xinzo de Limia xa permite inscribirse aos locais de hostalaría que queiran participar na cuarta edición do concurso gastronómico Patapas, que se celebrará na ponte de decembro.
Os hostaleiros teñen ata o domingo 15 de novembro para apuntarse. O evento terá lugar entre o xoves 3 e o martes 8 de decembro.
Estas son as claves da edición deste ano:
Prezo: cada pincho custará 2,50 euros.
Premios: repartiranse 3.000 euros en galardóns para os clientes que participen na ruta.
Para…
O Concello de Xinzo busca establecementos para a cuarta edición do concurso de pinchos Patapas. Os hostaleiros que queiran sumarse teñen de prazo ata o domingo 15 de novembro.
A competición celebrarase na ponte de decembro, concretamente do xoves 3 ao martes 8. Durante estes días, cada pincho custará 2,50 euros e os clientes que completen a ruta poderán optar a un total de 3.000 euros en premios.
Para anotarse, os locais poden utilizar:
Os grupos de WhatsApp da hostalaría.
O correo…
A Garda Civil mantén dende primeira hora deste venres un importante operativo policial en Xinzo de Limia e Verín vinculado á investigación dunha rede de distribución de produtos falsificados.
O dispositivo comezou ás 06:00 horas en Verín e desprazouse cara a Xinzo de Limia arredor das 07:00 horas. A intervención máis visible tivo lugar nun edificio do número 66 da avenida de Madrid, en Xinzo, onde os axentes accederon á forza tras rebentar a porta.
Os traballos de rexistro e vixilancia contan…
A Garda Civil despregou esta mañá, arredor das 09:00 horas, un importante operativo con rexistros simultáneos na Avenida de Madrid de Ourense e en varias vivendas de Verín.
A actuación está conectada cos rexistros realizados onte na cidade de Ourense. Polo de agora, as autoridades non facilitaron máis detalles nin confirmaron detencións sobre esta operación que segue en curso.
O GDR Limia-Arnoia busca agricultores para traballar na Finca Antela (Sandiás), propiedade da Deputación de Ourense. O prazo de inscrición remata o 9 de decembro de 2026.
Esta iniciativa, integrada no proxecto Aterra, pretende recuperar terras en desuso para fomentar unha agricultura ecolóxica e sostible.
Quen pode solicitar unha parcela?
Agricultores profesionais en activo.
Persoas que se vaian incorporar ao sector nun prazo máximo de 12 meses.
Todas as persoas deben estar ao día cos…
A Asociación Cultural A Pantalla organiza este venres 13 de novembro un magosto popular na Praza dos Ovos de Xinzo de Limia. A festa, que comezará ás 19:00 horas, conmemora o 30 aniversario da entidade.
O evento conta co apoio do Concello e ofrecerá unha cea tradicional para todos os asistentes, ademais de música en directo:
Menú: porco ao espeto, empanada, castañas, bica e viño.
Música: actuación do grupo O Lobo da Xente.
A Casa da Cultura de Xinzo de Limia organiza este sábado, 7 de novembro, ás 12.00 horas, unha xornada divulgativa sobre o Entroido galego aberta a todos os veciños.
O encontro centrarase na figura dos Boteiros de Vilariño de Conso. Dúas mulleres que forman parte desta tradición explicarán en primeira persoa como a viven:
Socorro: artesá que elabora as máscaras do Boteiro.
Uxía: foliona que porta o traxe tradicional.
O obxectivo desta iniciativa da Asociación de Amigos do Entroido…
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Map of Xinzo de Limia
