Igrexa Vella
Approximate duration: 30 minutes
1. The foundations of the church
The earliest church was built here in the 5th century. It was a small, east-facing, basilica-type church with a rectangular floor plan and a simple apse, also rectangular in shape. In the 8th or 9th century the church was damaged in a fire and later rebuilt and extended to include a Latin cross plan, re-using the foundations of the façade and the lateral walls, with the apse being dismantled. A century later, it was to become Santa Comba de Louro monastery, surviving until it was abandoned in the 17th century, when Santa Comba de Loura parish church was built.
2. Burials
Two burial eras corresponding to the site have been documented: the first, in the interior of the first chapel, where several types of tombs appeared; and the second, associated with the new church, at the foot of which was discovered a necropolis where almost 30 worshippers were buried. Most of the tombs correspond to adults, although some children’s graves were also uncovered. To the north, outside the main nave, a sarcophagus was found, as well as slab-covered tombs, on top of which the walls of the later chapel and sacristy were built.
3. A re-used Roman stela
A Roman stela with an epigraph was re-used on the façade of one of the churches. Stelae, such as the one documented here, are tombstones. This particular stela was incomplete and its remains correspond to the bottom left quarter, measuring 80 cm in height and 40 cm in width. Part of the central cartouche has been preserved, with three and a half lines of text remaining, written in careless, abbreviated Latin.
4. The “Cruceiro” (Stone Cross)
A place of memory. The stone cross found on the northern part of the site is a modern, yet meaningful, piece of work. It was erected in this spot in memory of the existence of Santa Comba de Loura monastery before excavation work began. It is a tribute to remind the inhabitants of Valga that a place they should remember used to exist here, a place of memory.
¡Lo que no te puedes perder!
Valga History Museum (Valga)
The aim of the museum is to disseminate Valga’s natural heritage and history, as well as celebrate its most illustrious daughter, Agustina Carolina Otero Iglesias, commonly known as La Bella Otero. History, art, geography and ethnography ensure that this museum is of great cultural interes.
Capela dos Mártires (Chapel of the Martyrs) (Valga)
Its original construction dates back to the Paleochristian period between the 4th and 5th centuries. It was extended in the 12th century in Romanesque style, preserving part of its early appearance, but definitively erased in later renovations. Nearby, almost completely hidden by the vegetation, a medieval sarcophagus can be found.
Raxoi waterfall and the Parafita mills (Valga)
In this natural setting of great scenic beauty, formed by the course of the River Valga, are to be found the waterfall, natural pools and mills, surrounded by dense, autochthonous vegetation, accessible via walkways and wooden staircases.
The “Pedra da Serpe” (Serpent’s Stone) Petroglyph (Valga)
Between Monte dos Penucos and Monte dos Salgueiros can be found a prehistoric engraving in the shape of wavy lines which could represent serpents, associated in the past with fertility rituals.
Monte Beiro (Mount Beiro) ()
From the hillock, visitors are greeted by a pretty, panoramic view of the Ulla river valley as it flows into the Arousa ria, the Barbanza mountain range and its foothills, mounts Oleiron, Meda and Xesteiras. The pine forest that repopulated the area is specked with different tree species, forming the so-called Botanical Forest Route. Resting on the summit is a windmill, which belongs to Valga Ecomuseum, as do the River Valga’s waterfalls, Mina Mercedes lagoon and Vilarello river beach.