History of the Romaría da Saínza

The history of the Romaría da Saínza can be traced back to the early 18th century. It is one of A Limia’s oldest festivals with documented dates, and local researchers have studied it in depth. This page complements the introduction to the pilgrimage and the pages on the battle of Moors and Christians and on Our Lady of Mercy.

1721: the church and the first pilgrimage

The starting point is 1721. That year Pedro González Gándara, abbot and parish priest of San Bartolomé de Ganade, built the church at A Saínza ^[1]. Ever since, mass and the procession of Our Lady of Mercy, the religious heart of the festival, have been held there ^[6].

Some festival websites say the pilgrimage "dates back to 1721" ^[7]. That is true of the religious festival, but not of the battle, which came later.

1840: the battle of Moors and Christians arrives

According to Florencio Gándara, a priest and student of the festival, the first battle was probably staged in 1840 ^[1]. The Concello de Rairiz de Veiga gives the same date: the pilgrimage "has been held since 1840, when the battle of Moors and Christians was added" ^[2].

The driving force was the priest Manuel Alonso Dorado, a native of Rairiz de Veiga. He rebuilt the old church and promoted the pilgrimage ^[1]. According to Vía Lethes, he was a beneficed priest of Ourense cathedral from 1852 and a canon from 1857 ^[4]. Tradition says he added the Ataque to fulfil a vow to Our Lady of Mercy, made when he feared for his life outside Galicia ^[1][4].

The 1929 report

The earliest long description known is by Jaime Solá, editor of Vida Gallega, published on 20 November 1929 ^[3]. The historian Alexander de los Ríos Conde reproduced it almost in full in 2016, since no one had republished it in nearly ninety years ^[3].

Solá describes buses arriving from Ourense, Celanova, Allariz, Monterrei and the Portuguese border. He also mentions decorated carts, octopus cooks, travelling puppet shows and a blind man with a violin ^[3]. He records a change, too: the speeches were given in Spanish, but old people remembered them being in Galician until the death of the canon ^[4]. For De los Ríos, that canon can only be Manuel Alonso Dorado ^[4]. Solá adds that that year’s speeches had been written by Manuel Lezón, former land registrar of Celanova ^[4].

Studies and recognition

Antón Fraguas devoted a section of his book Romarías e Santuarios (1988) to the festival ^[8]. The standard monograph is Delfín Caseiro Nogueiras’s A Romaría da Saínza: mouros e cristiáns (Ourense, 2003). Enrique Bande Rodríguez, author of Moros y Cristianos en la Sainza, also wrote about it ^[1].

In 2001 the pilgrimage was declared a Festival of Galician Tourist Interest ^[5]. According to Festivales de España, an application for National Tourist Interest status was in progress in 2026 ^[7].

By 2026 the programme already included the 19th Noite Moura (Moorish Night) and the 9th "O Meu Primeiro Combate de Mouros e Cristiáns" (My First Battle of Moors and Christians) ^[6]. The festival’s setting is described on the castle and oak grove page.

Sources

1. Fronteira Esquecida, "Romaría da Saínza" (bibliography: Delfín Caseiro Nogueiras, A Romaría da Saínza: mouros e cristiáns, Ourense, 2003; Enrique Bande Rodríguez, Moros y Cristianos en la Sainza). https://fronteiraesquecida.eu/gl/fichas/romaria-da-sainza/
2. Concello de Rairiz de Veiga, "Romaría da Sainza". https://rairizdeveiga.es/gl/feiras-festas/romaria-da-sainza
3. Alexander de los Ríos Conde, "La romería de A Saínza en un reportaje de 1929 (Primera Parte)", Vía Lethes, 25-09-2016. https://vialethes.es/romeria-sainza-1929
4. 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
5. Galician Wikipedia, "Festas de interese turístico de Galicia", CC BY-SA 4.0. https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festas_de_interese_turístico_de_Galicia
6. Páxinas Galegas, "Romería da Saínza e Nosa Señora da Mercé" (2026 programme). https://www.paxinasgalegas.es/fiestas/romeria-da-sainza-e-nosa-señora-da-merce-rairiz-de-veiga-574.html
7. Festivales de España, "Romaría da Saínza e Nosa Señora da Mercé" (accessed 22-10-2026). https://www.festivalesdeespana.com/festival/romaria-da-sainza-e-nosa-senora-da-merce-rairiz-de-veiga
8. Museo da Limia, "Fraguas e A Limia". https://museodalimia.com/fraguas-e-a-limia/