The castle of A Saínza (Rairiz de Veiga): the «castle» of the romería

The castle of A Saínza is the best-known monument of the Rairiz de Veiga romería, but it should not be confused with the medieval castles of A Limia such as A Pena, Sandiás or A Forxa. It is a small structure beside the festival ground, at A Saínza, in the parish of San Xoán de Rairiz de Veiga, where each year the Moors defend the fortress and the Christians storm it at the Romaría da Saínza ^[1][3].

A Bien de Interés Cultural

The Xunta’s Plan Básico Autonómico catalogue lists the castle of A Saínza among the Bienes de Interés Cultural, with a generic declaration and artistic interest. It has the code BIC.000.525 and dates from 1994 ^[1]. Wikipedia’s list of monuments gives it the national identifier RI-51-0008957 ^[2].

What it is like

Antonio Doval Adán described it as a «small castle» ^[4]. In 1929 the chronicler Jaime Solá, in Vida Gallega, spoke of a «stone bulwark» with a terrace and battlements: the Christian prisoners stood on the terrace, and in front of the door there was a staircase up which the Christian captain climbed. In front of the castle, about fifteen metres away, were already then the two rocks from which the captains speak ^[3].

The origin and date of construction are not documented in the sources consulted.

The castle in the romería

The castle is the stage of the festival’s popular theatre: the Moorish side, with its king, defends the fortress until the Christians, after the captains’ dialogue from the rocks, take it. The plot, the characters and the legends of the hundred maidens are in the pages on mouros e cristiáns and Cen Doncelas.

The oak grove around it

The romería is held in a field shaded by old oaks, among them the Carballa da Rocha, a natural monument. It is described in O castelo e a carballeira da Saínza.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a medieval castle?

The sources consulted do not present it as such: Doval Adán speaks of a «small castle» and the 1929 chronicler of a stone bulwark with which the festival is staged ^[3][4].

Is it protected?

Yes, it has been a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1994 ^[1][2].

Where is it?

At A Saínza, beside the festival ground, in San Xoán de Rairiz de Veiga ^[1].

Links

• Patrimonio da Limia
• Romaría da Saínza
• Rairiz de Veiga
• Torre da Forxa
• Torre de Celme

Sources

1. Xunta de Galicia, Plan Básico Autonómico, catalogue of BIC: «Castelo da Saínza» (BIC.000.525). https://ideg.xunta.gal/servizos/rest/services/PBA/Afeccions_PatrimonioCultural/MapServer
2. Wikipedia (gl), «Lista de monumentos da provincia de Ourense», CC BY-SA 4.0. https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lista_de_monumentos_da_provincia_de_Ourense
3. Alexander de los Ríos Conde, «La romería de A Saínza en un reportaje de 1929 (Segunda Parte)», Vía Lethes, 02-10-2016. https://vialethes.es/romeria-sainza-1929-ii
4. Antonio Doval Adán, Rairiz de Veiga, in Galicia pueblo a pueblo. https://minerva.usc.gal/bitstreams/f7db627e-8867-4e17-b14c-f908758002ab/download