Baralla: Churches, Towers and the Vía Künig

The Vía Künig runs through the municipality of Baralla.

Other places: Viveiro, O Corgo, Monforte De Lemos, Vilaxoán, Samos, Lagoa, Surribas and Vilamor.

Culture

The Igrexa Parroquial de San Martiño de Berselos was built between the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Its portal has a Doric archivolt with a chequerboard decoration, four columns attached at the sides and a semicircular tympanum decorated with figures.

The Igrexa Parroquial de Santiago de Covas has Romanesque origins and was later altered during the Baroque period. Its covered entrance features slate pillars, Romanesque granite columns and capitals decorated with figures.

The churches of Covas and Berselos preserve Romanesque architectural features: in Covas in the capitals and in Berselos in the portal. Roman votive offerings dedicated to Jupiter and the goddess Tutela were found in Aranza.

The bell tower of the Igrexa Parroquial de San Martín de Neira de Rei is cube-shaped, built of slate masonry and has two levels as well as two buttresses at the base. The church also has an irregular floor plan and a hipped roof covered with slate.

History

The Casa-Torre de Basille is a three-storey building made of rubble masonry, with granite blocks at the corners. It is connected to an attached residential building to form a single complex and includes an enclosing wall with a gate.

The Torre de Piñeira has the traditional form of a tower with an attached residential building. Its masonry consists of granite and slate rubble; the corners and windows are framed with granite.

The Torre de Vilameixe is a building bearing the coat of arms of the Castro family, with six Castro roundels. It consists of a square, three-storey tower with a hipped roof and a rectangular residential building with a gabled roof.

The Ponte de Covas has three openings and is presumably a humpback bridge made of natural stone blocks and slate, with semicircular arches. It is thought to have formed part of a branch or shortcut of the Roman road Vía Romana XX. A possible Roman origin is also attributed to the Ponte de Covas.

Landscape

The landscape around Baralla is shaped by the Neira River. The Área Recreativa Manuel González Capón is located on the river and includes a riverside promenade.

The Área Recreativa Manuel González Capón offers sports courts, shaded areas, picnic tables, benches and barbecue facilities, as well as municipal swimming pools and a children's playground. It also has a free public motorhome parking area with a maximum stay of 72 hours.

Routes

The Vía Künig is presented as an alternative route to the Camino Francés.

The Igrexa Parroquial de San Martín de Neira de Rei can be reached from the municipal capital via the road to Baleira; after 5 km, turn right onto a path and follow it for another 100 m.

The Igrexa Parroquial de San Martiño de Berselos can be reached from Baralla in the direction of Pobra de Xiao via the turn-off near Riba de Neira.

The Igrexa Parroquial de Santiago de Covas can be reached from the LU-621 by following the signpost to the Ponte de Covas and taking an unpaved path along the river.

To the higher-level travel overview: Lugo.