Esposende: Culture, Castro Remains and the Camiño do Viño

Culture and History

Santa Mariña de Esposende is a Romanesque building. Its construction dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Santa Mariña also includes a Gothic chapel dating from the 16th century. The main entrance has a double arch. Pilasters flank this double arch. The murals in Santa Mariña de Esposende are concealed behind several successive layers of whitewash. Santa Mariña de Esposende is included in the Register of Cultural Heritage of Galicia.

The combination of a Romanesque building and a later Gothic chapel points to different construction periods within the same religious complex. At the main entrance, the double arch does not stand free-standing but is framed by the pilasters arranged at the sides. The murals are part of the building's furnishings, but remain concealed behind the several layers of whitewash and are therefore not immediately visible.

Esposende has preserved Castro remains. Coto do Castro / Coto do Mouro is an Iron Age Castro in Santa Mariña de Esposende. Coto do Castro / Coto do Mouro offers extensive views across the Avia Valley.

Leive Ecoadega is located in Esposende (Cenlle). The Ecoadega is situated in the Avia Valley. Its premises are housed in a historic building. Parts of this building date back to the 18th century. The Virxe de Areas sanctuary was built in 1834. It is built in the Baroque style. The Pazo de Lentille is located in Esposende.

In Esposende, therefore, there is not only an Iron Age Castro but also a historic building and a sanctuary built in the 19th century. The buildings mentioned belong to different periods and architectural traditions: Santa Mariña is Romanesque, the chapel Gothic and Virxe de Areas Baroque. Leive Ecoadega is associated with a building whose parts date back to the 18th century.

Other Places

Other places in the destination area include A Rúa, Pazó, La Merca, Olás, Francos, Feás, Eiras and Riós.

Routes and Wine Connections

The section of the Camiño do Viño that runs through the municipality of Cenlle is 4.3 km long, a fixed distance to bear in mind when planning your day. The Camiño do Viño follows a path through oak and mimosa forests. It then descends to Cuñas.

In Esposende, the Camiño do Viño runs along the Rúa. From there, it leads uphill to Casardomato before branching off towards the Santa Mariña church. The route then heads towards the Virxe das Areas sanctuary. It subsequently continues to the OU-0302 road.

The Camiño do Viño follows an old route towards Lentille. It continues to Peitieiros in the village of Pazos Ermos. In the past, the Camiño do Viño was used to transport wine to Compostela. The Galician ports were also among its most important destinations. The Camiño do Viño connects places, villages and parishes. These have clear historical and cultural links to wine production.

The route's historical function was therefore the transport of wine: in earlier times, wine travelled along it to Compostela and to Galician ports. Its current route description names forests, individual places, religious buildings and a road as successive points of reference. The section through Cenlle covers 4.3 km.

For the broader travel overview: Ourense.