Audioguide

Castro Caldelas

The old town of Castro Caldelas was declared a Historical-Artistic Site in 1998. It principally comprises the streets leading up to the Counts of Lemos Castle: Calle del Sol and Calle Grande. Cobbled roads which follow their mediaeval course, revealing interesting stone houses adorned with galleries and coats of arms. In one of these houses, now an inn, lived the famous Galician writer and politician Vicente Risco

Castro Caldelas stands on a hill overlooking the banks of the river Edo. The town boasts beautiful white galleries and interesting houses which hark back to rich mediaeval splendour.

Particularly noteworthy is the old town, known as "Cima de Vila": winding cobbled streets leading up to the castle, constructed in the mid 14th century by order of Pedro Fernández de Castro, VII Count of Lemos. This is a mediaeval fortress of a military nature. Particularly striking is the fine conservation of the Clock Tower, the Keep and the parade ground.

This is also a town with traditions, particularly the Torch Burning Festival on 19th January. In this celebration, honouring St Sebastian, the inhabitants form a small procession around the castle while carrying long torches made of straw. They also bear a straw effigy of the Saint, preceded by a long torch measuring up to 30 metres long.

No visit to Castro Caldelas would be complete without sampling its delicious cuisine, including beef from the Caldelá breed and the area's cured ham (highly prized for its taste, owing to the chestnuts used to feed the animals) and, of course, its distinctive bica cake.

Don't miss!

The castle or fortress: this is the most visible symbol of its history. It dates back to the 14th century, although it is thought that there was already a fortification by the 12th century.

La Virgen de los Remedios: 16th-century Renaissance-style church which was reformed in the 19th century and has an atrium with a viewpoint offering spectacular views. Beside its southern door, it is adorned with escutcheons and it now functions as the Municipal Museum.