Ethnographic heritage of Rairiz de Veiga: Congostro, mills, ovens and springs

Rairiz de Veiga preserves a very rich ethnographic heritage, which the Concello promotes and which Galicia Nomeada catalogues ^[4]. This page brings together what there is.

Congostro, an ethnographic village

Congostro is a restored village in the process of being turned into a museum. Its main value is its ethnographic heritage with elements of vernacular architecture (mills, ovens, cruceiros) and its layout as a traditional Limia village: narrow streets, houses packed closely around the threshing floors (airas) and a concentration of canastros (raised granaries) such as the one at the Aira da Moa. The Interpretation Centre houses an exhibition on the history and ethnography of Congostro and a display on the Vía Nova ^[1]. See also Testamentos da burra.

The San Miguel mills route

It starts from Congostro, at the place called A Rebulleira, almost without touching asphalt, always uphill. At km 0.6 the first mill appears, on the Penelas stream; San Miguel is reached after 19 minutes, a fairly well-preserved village with a fine collection of canastros; at km 1.45 there is a second mill and then two more, one very well restored. On the way back, a path leads to the San Miguel hill-fort, with views over the Limia plain; after that come the restored oven of San Miguel, the place of Santo André (refurbished as rural tourism accommodation) and Congostro with its aira ^[2].

Catalogued mills, ovens and springs

Galicia Nomeada records in Rairiz de Veiga ^[4]:

Mills and bridges (17)

• Muíño Novo do Ceno
• Muíño Vello do Ceno
• Muíño da Mouteira
• Muíño da Outeira
• Muíño da Presa
• Muíño do Cabo
• Muíño do Ferramenteiro
• Muíño do Medio
• Muíño do Prado Grande
• Muíño do Río
• Muíño do Tareco
• Muíño do Tío Rei
• Muíño dos Alonsos
• Muíño dos Caravelas
• Muíño dos Ferreiros
• Os Muíños do Tareco
• Ponte do Río

Communal ovens (5)

• Forno comunal de Sainza de Abaixo
• Forno de Barracel
• Forno de Guillamil
• Forno de Nigueiroá
• Forno de Xuxá

Springs, mines, pools and water sources (18)

• Fonte das Nieves
• Fonte de Cernadas
• Fonte de Covos
• Fonte de Cudesendo
• Fonte de Fontao
• Fonte do Barreiro
• Fonte do Herbio
• Fonte do Outeiro
• Manancial do Outeiro do Cándido
• Manancial dos Casares
• Mina do Outeiro do Lugar
• Mina do Pereiro
• Mina do Picouto
• Mina dos Frades
• O Cano do Rei
• O Cano do San Roque
• Poza do Cenón
• Poza do Crego

Fairs

• Feira etnográfica da Pereira, on the first Sunday of August in Antón Tovar’s home village, revived by the Concello in 1995: it used to be monthly, when A Pereira was the municipal capital; there are pulpeiros (octopus cooks), farriers for pack animals, traditional music and a reading of a poem by Tovar with Delfín Caseiro ^[3]. See Antón Tovar.
• Feira da Saínza, on the 23rd of each month on the Saínza ground, with pulpeiras, farriers and stalls selling plants, fruit, clothes and shoes ^[3]. See Romaría da Saínza.
• San Xoán, 24 June, a local holiday ^[3].

Links

• Patrimonio da Limia
• Rairiz de Veiga
• Antón Tovar

Sources

1. «Conxunto etnográfico de Congostro», Concello de Rairiz de Veiga. https://rairizdeveiga.es/gl/turismo/congostro
2. «Ruta dos muíños da San Miguel», Concello de Rairiz de Veiga. https://rairizdeveiga.es/gl/turismo
3. «Feiras e festas máis importantes», Concello de Rairiz de Veiga. https://rairizdeveiga.es/index.php/gl/feiras-festas
4. Galicia Nomeada, inventario de microtoponimia (Xunta de Galicia / RAG). https://galicianomeada.xunta.gal/sixtop/visor
5. «Ruta dos muíños da San Miguel». https://rairizdeveiga.es/index.php/gl/turismo
6. «Ruta dos muíños da San Miguel». https://rairizdeveiga.es/index.php/turismo