Chapter I: Front Matter

GALICIA

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

A RIBBON OF IRON (The Great Siberian Railway)
IN RUSSIAN TURKESTAN
RUSSIA: TRAVELS AND STUDIES
WOMAN IN TRANSITION

GALICIA

THE SWITZERLAND OF SPAIN

BY

ANNETTE M. B. MEAKIN

“Lugar mais hermoso
No mundo n’hachara
Qu’aquel de Galicia
Galicia encantada.”
ROSALIA CASTRO

WITH 105 ILLUSTRATIONS AND A MAP

METHUEN & CO.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON

_First Published in 1909_

THIS VOLUME

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

TO

HER MAJESTY

VICTORIA EUGENIA

GALICIA’S QUEEN

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. ANCIENT GALICIA 1

II. THE GEOGRAPHY OF GALICIA 17

III. THE FIRST GOLDEN AGE 24

IV. THE SALVE REGINA 39

V. THE LANGUAGE OF GALICIA 49

VI. PILGRIMS TO SANTIAGO 60

VII. THE ARCHITECTURE OF GALICIA 78

VIII. THE CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO 94

IX. THE PÓRTICO DE GLORIA 107

X. SCULPTURED CAPITALS 126

XI. THE ROYAL HOSPITAL 136

XII. THE COLEGIATA DE SAR 145

XIII. LA CORUÑA 152

XIV. EMIGRATION 172

XV. ROSALIA CASTRO 182

XVI. SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA 190

XVII. GALICIA’S LIVESTOCK 210

XVIII. PADRON 222

XIX. LA BELLÍSIMA NOYA 231

XX. PONTEVEDRA 254

XXI. VIGO AND TUY 276

XXII. ORENSE 286

XXIII. MONFORTE AND LUGO 297

XXIV. BETANZOS AND FERROL 308

XXV. THE GREAT MONASTERIES OF GALICIA 317

XXVI. TREES, FRUITS, AND FLOWERS 343

XXVII. DIVES CALLAECIA 352

BIBLIOGRAPHY 359

INDEX 363

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

THE _PÓRTICO DE GLORIA_ IN THE CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO _Frontispiece_

FACING PACE

MAP OF GALICIA 1

THE RIVER SIL, ORENSE 22

WHERE THE SIL JOINS THE CABE 57

A MOUNTAIN VINEYARD 57

THE TREASURY, SANTIAGO CATHEDRAL 102

PUERTA DE LAS PLATERIAS, SANTIAGO CATHEDRAL 102

PUERTA SANTA, SANTIAGO CATHEDRAL 102

THE SILVER ALTAR WITH STATUE OF ST. JAMES IN SANTIAGO CATHEDRAL 104

THE STONE COFFIN IN WHICH THE LOST BODY OF ST. JAMES WAS DISCOVERED IN 1879. IT HAD BEEN HIDDEN THERE WHEN SIR FRANCIS DRAKE ATTACKED CORUÑA 104

WINDOW IN THE PALACE OF GELMIREZ 127

ARCHWAY IN THE PALACE OF GELMIREZ 127

SCULPTURE IN THE CHAPEL BENEATH SANTIAGO CATHEDRAL 127

SCULPTURE IN THE REFECTORY OF THE PALACE OF GELMIREZ 128

SCULPTURE IN THE CHAPEL 130

SCULPTURED PILLAR IN THE CHAPEL 130

ENTRANCE TO THE CHAPEL BENEATH SANTIAGO CATHEDRAL 130

SCULPTURED CAPITALS EXACTLY BENEATH THE _PÓRTICO DE GLORIA_ 132

THE PALACE OF GELMIREZ 132

ENTRANCE TO THE ROYAL HOSPITAL AT SANTIAGO 136

VESTIBULE OF THE ROYAL HOSPITAL 140

CLOISTER IN THE ROYAL HOSPITAL 140

CONVENT OF SAN PAYO, WHERE EACH NUN HAD A SEPARATE KITCHEN AND A MAID TO WAIT ON HER 142

ROYAL HOSPITAL, SANTIAGO 142

A CORNER OF A CLOISTER, ROYAL HOSPITAL, SANTIAGO 144

A DOORWAY LEADING TO A CLOISTER, ROYAL HOSPITAL, SANTIAGO 144

A SCULPTURED ALTAR, ROYAL HOSPITAL, SANTIAGO 144

INTERIOR OF THE COLEGIATA DE SAR 147

CLOISTER OF THE COLEGIATA DE SAR 147

PEASANTS IN COSTUMES PECULIAR TO GALICIA 154

A NATIVE CART 158

A STREET IN LA CORUÑA 158

A WATER-CARRIER 158

KEEPING MAY DAY 158

THE TOWER OF HERCULES 159

THE TOMB OF SIR JOHN MOORE ON THE RAMPARTS OF LA CORUÑA 159

PADRON 228

BRIDGE OF ALONSO WHERE THE TAMBRE JOINS THE RIA DE NOYA 228

NOYA 234

THE BED OF SAN MAMED, NOYA 236

CLOISTER OF SAN JUSTO DE TOJOSUTOS 236

GROUP OF MUSICIANS; ONE IS HOLDING THE GALICIAN BAGPIPE 239

MERCHANT’S PALACE OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY, NOYA 239

RUINED CHURCH OF CAMBADOS 256

INTERIOR OF SANTA MARIA LA GRANDE 256

THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA LA GRANDE AND HOUSES ONCE INHABITED BY MERCHANT FISHERMEN 256

OLD JEWISH QUARTER, PONTEVEDRA 260

THE RUINS OF SANTA DOMINGO NOW AN OPEN-AIR ARCHÆOLOGICAL MUSEUM, PONTEVEDRA 260

PART OF THE MUSEUM OF ARCHÆOLOGY, PONTEVEDRA 262

TOMB OF AN AMBASSADOR TO TAMERLANE IN THE MUSEUM OF SANTA DOMINGO, PONTEVEDRA 262

THE VILLAGE OF COMBARRO, PONTEVEDRA 267

A NATIVE DOVECOT 267

CASTELLO MOS, NOW THE SUMMER RESIDENCE OF THE MARQUIS DE LA VEGA DE ARMIJO, PONTEVEDRA 272

PREHISTORIC WRITING DISCOVERED ON BOULDERS NEAR THE TOWN OF PONTEVEDRA IN 1907 274

(_From a Drawing by E. Campo_)

BELL TOWER OF THE CATHEDRAL, TUY 282

THE CATHEDRAL AT TUY 282

PORCH OF TUY CATHEDRAL 284

APSE OF THE PARISH CHURCH AT ALLARIZ 289

FAÇADE OF THE CHURCH OF EL MOSTEIRO 289

ENTRANCE TO ORENSE CATHEDRAL 289

STONE REREDOS IN THE CAPILLA DE LOS CONDES, MONTERREY 290

THE PUENTE MAYOR, ONE OF THE WONDERS OF ORENSE 290

NORTHERN ENTRANCE TO ORENSE CATHEDRAL 292

SIDE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH OF SANTA DOMINGO AT TUY 292

ROMANESQUE FAÇADE OF THE PARISH CHURCH AT ALLARIZ 292

WINDOW IN THE CHURCH OF SANTIAGO AT RIBADAVIA 292

TOWER NEAR MONTERREY 294

CHURCH OF AQUASANTAS 294

APSE OF THE CHURCH OF EL MOSTEIRO 294

APSE OF A CHURCH NEAR ORENSE 296

CONVENTUAL CHURCH OF THE MONASTERY OF OSERA 296

PART OF THE APSE OF THE CHURCH OF AQUASANTAS 296

THE MARKET-PLACE, LUGO 312

CHILDREN PLAYING HIDE-AND-SEEK AMONG THE COFFINS EXPOSED FOR SALE IN A STREET OF SANTIAGO 312

ROMANESQUE SIDE ENTRANCE TO CHURCH OF TIOBRE, BETANZOS 312

TOMB OF ANDRADA, BETANZOS 312

THE MONASTERY OF OSERA, ORENSE 321

CLOISTERS IN THE MONASTERY OF OSERA, TWO PICTURES 321

CLOISTER IN THE COLEGIATA DE JUNQUERA DE AMBIA 321

CLOISTER IN THE MONASTERY OF CELANOVA 329

SANTA COMBA DE BANDE 332

HORSESHOE ARCH IN SANTA COMBA DE BANDE 332

ORATORY OF SAN MIGUEL IN GARDEN OF CELANOVA MONASTERY 332

MONASTERY AND CHURCH OF CELANOVA 332

THE RIVER CABE 335

MY GUIDE LEADING ME UP TO THE MONASTERY OF SAN ESTEVAN 335

THE BISHOP’S CLOISTER, MONASTERY OF SAN ESTEVAN, ORENSE 338

ROCK-HEWN CHAPEL IN THE MONASTERY OF SAN PEDRO DE ROCAS 340

VESTIBULE OF THE ROCK CHAPELS OF SAN PEDRO DE ROCAS 340

PRIMITIVE MAIZE BARN IN VILLAGE NEAR OSERA 345

MOUNTAIN SLOPE CULTIVATED IN STEPS OR TERRACES, ORENSE 345

GALICIA]

GALICIA