The Sacred Bank (Ourense)
Since the Middle Ages, the area which stretches
along the southern bank of the River Sil, from Castro Caldelas
to Ourense, has been known in Galician as Rivoira Sacrata and
in Spanish as Ribeira Sacra (the Sacred Bank) because of the monasteries
sited there.
You can visit them by leaving Ourense on the Ponferrada road,
admiring the spectacular countryside of the Gorge of the Sil on
the way. The oldest - dating from the sixth century - is to be
found in Esgos, hewn out of the rocks and thus named San Pedro
de Rocas. Next comes the Xunqueira de Espadañedo, a Romanesque
building which has seen various additions, and further on lies
the Monasterio de Montederramo, built in the sixteenth century
in the herreriano style.
After visiting Castro Caldelas and its castle, the
journey continues on towards the Sil to take in the ruins of the
Monasterio de San Paio de Abeleda. Walking along the banks of
the river, we discover, tucked away in a picturesque spot, the
Monasterio de Santa Cristiña de Ribas de Sil, whose church
is a perfect replica of the Romanesque architecture of Santiago
de Compostela. We finish off at the grandest and best-conserved
of all, the Monasterio de San Estevo de Ribas de Sil, a medley
of all architectural styles.
Here, a scenic road leads down by the Gorge of the Sil to meet
up with the River Miño - the main river in Galicia - and
the Ribeira Sacra at Os Peares, the site of the amazing Romanesque
church-fortress of Portomarín, the intricately adorned
facade of San Estevo de Ribas de Miño and some small churches,
such as the one at Cova, which were rescued from the waters of
the reservoir. The countryside from here all the way back to Ourense
is beautiful.
Galicia Maps
Galicia map
A Coruña
Map
Lugo
Map
Ourense
Map
Pontevedra
Map