The Torre de Celme (Rairiz de Veiga): the vanished castle
The Torre de Celme, at the place of Celme (Ordes, Rairiz de Veiga), was one of the four medieval fortresses defending the Lagoa de Antela, along with Pena, Sandiás and A Forxa; nothing of it survives today.
- Place
- Celme, parish of Ordes (Rairiz de Veiga)
- Period
- 11th–12th centuries
- Condition
- Vanished, no remains
The Torre de Celme is the most mysterious of the towers of A Limia. It stood at the place of Celme, in the parish of Ordes, in Rairiz de Veiga, and together with those of A Pena, Sandiás and A Forxa formed the defensive system that watched over the Lagoa de Antela and the border with Portugal [3][4]. Unlike the other three, no trace of it survives [1][4].
What is known
The municipality of Rairiz de Veiga recalls in its history that there was an «important example» of military architecture, namely the Torre de Celme, «of which at present no traces remain» [1]. The Concello de Xinzo de Limia says the same: it is the tower «of which no physical remains survive» [4].
According to the Galipedia article on Xinzo de Limia, King Afonso Henriques of Portugal, when he took Tui in 1130 and headed for A Limia with the help of Count Rodrigo Pérez, tenente of A Limia, incorporated it into his crown, «thereby building the Castle of Celme» [2]. That is the only foundation report we have found and Wikipedia does not document it; it remains to be confirmed with specialist literature.
Afonso Henriques lost that conquest in 1169, after the disaster at Badajoz, when to regain his freedom he had to return Toroño and Limia to Ferdinand II [2].
The place today
Celme is a very small place in the parish of Ordes. According to the IGE in 2008, it had 5 inhabitants [3]. There are no visible ruins to visit.
Celme is also the home place of Álvaro de Oca y Zúñiga, a professor at the University of Salamanca in the 16th–17th centuries [5].
Frequently asked questions
Does the Torre de Celme still exist?
No. The sources from the Concello de Rairiz de Veiga and the Concello de Xinzo de Limia agree that nothing remains [1][4].
Where was it?
At the place of Celme, in the parish of Ordes, in Rairiz de Veiga [3].
What are the other towers of A Limia?
A Pena in Xinzo, Sandiás, A Forxa in Porqueira and, on the border, the castle of A Picoña.
Links
Sources
- Concello de Rairiz de Veiga, «Historia». https://rairizdeveiga.es/gl/concello/historia
- «Xinzo de Limia», Galipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinzo_de_Limia
- «Celme, Ordes, Rairiz de Veiga», Galipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celme,_Ordes,_Rairiz_de_Veiga
- Concello de Xinzo de Limia, «A Cidade». https://www.xinzodelimia.gal/estaticas/a-cidade
- «Álvaro de Oca y Zúñiga. Celme (Rairiz de Veiga)…», Historia de Xinzo, 14-03-2023. https://historiadexinzo.wordpress.com/2023/03/14/alvaro-de-oca-y-zuniga-celme-rairiz-de-veiga-ourense-s-xvi-pamplona-navarra-08-01-1638-catedratico-de-la-universidad-de-salamanca-dean-de-zamora-corregidor-de-villena-ch/
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