Religious heritage

Delve into the great spiritual monuments of the province of Pontevedra

The landscape of the province of Pontevedra and its history are tinged with spirituality. In addition to the natural beauty of its forests, rivers, beaches and gentle coastline, there is also the mysticism of its magical places of worship and retreat, where you can isolate yourself from the hustle and bustle of the world and experience this formidable tourist destination. Monasteries, churches and sanctuaries are havens of peace located in idyllic coastal and inland landscapes.

The cathedral of Santa María, in Tui, is the jewel in the crown of a beautiful historic centre on the banks of the river Minho. Its main façade was the first in the Iberian Peninsula to be built in the Gothic style.

The urban landscape of Pontevedra could not be understood without the silhouette of A Peregrina, a sanctuary with a characteristic scallop-shell shape and an obligatory stop on the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela. Also in Pontevedra you can contemplate the magnificence of one of Galicia' s Gothic masterpieces, the basilica of Santa María a Maior. Its façade was conceived as a great stone altarpiece.

Very close to Pontevedra, at the foot of the legendary Portuguese Way, is the church of San Martiño de Agudelo, in Barro. Of the original temple, built in the 12th century, the apse and the western doorway remain. On the same road to Compostela, in Caldas de Reis, is the church of Santa Mariña de Carracedo, with a large Baroque tower.

Located in the historic centre of Vigo, the co-cathedral, popularly known as the Collegiate Church, houses the image of the Christ of Victory, the most important religious symbol of the city of Vigo.

Heading south, Panxón, in Nigrán, is home to a fabulous temple designed by the famous architect Antonio Palacios. The Templo Votivo del Mar, built between 1932 and 1937, was consecrated to the Virgen del Carmen in a variegated style with very diverse influences. Next, in Baiona, is the chapel of Santa Liberata, in honour of the martyr daughter of the locality and the first woman crucified in the world in the year 139, which began to be built in 1695 by popular initiative.

The province of Pontevedra is home to magnificent temples immersed in nature. The imposing sanctuary of Santa María de Abades, in neoclassical style, was built in Silleda in the 18th century; it stands out for the grandeur of the work, in which the dome and the tower, the tallest in the region, stand out.

The beautiful monasteries convey an imposing stillness. These stone monuments are the ideal starting (or finishing) point on a journey through the surrounding countryside, from forests to meadows and the seashore.