Taboadela: Churches, the Way of St. James and Historical Heritage

A notable building in Taboadela is Torre de Torán, a medieval granite tower. It is recognised as an Asset of Cultural Interest.

Culture and History

Taboadela’s cultural heritage includes the Romanesque Church of Santiago de Soutomaior. The Baroque Church of Santa María de Torán is also part of the cultural heritage. The Baroque Church of Santiago da Rabeda is likewise part of Taboadela’s cultural heritage.

The Igrexa de San Miguel de Taboadela is located in the town of Taboadela. It is in the parish of Taboadela (San Miguel) and is a single-nave Baroque church. The Igrexa de San Xurxo de Touza is located in San Xurxo da Touza, in the parish of A Touza (San Xurxo) in Taboadela.

The Igrexa de San Xurxo da Touza has Romanesque origins. Its medieval structure has largely been preserved. Remains of a Roman road were found in Taboadela.

The churches and historical buildings each bear their own local place name. Thus, Santiago de Soutomaior refers to Soutomaior, Santa María de Torán to Torán and San Xurxo de Touza to the settlement of San Xurxo da Touza. Torre de Torán complements these ecclesiastical landmarks with a medieval granite tower.

The remains of the Roman roads are also among the historical traces recorded for Taboadela.

Views, Paths and Recreation

The Mirador do Alto do Castro viewpoint is located in O Castro in Taboadela. The Área de recreo de San Xoán recreational area is located in Taboadela. Fonte Das Neves is located in Venda do Río.

The Way of St. James passes through the settlements of Venda do Río and Abeledo in Taboadela in the area of Val. The legend of Cama do San Xoán is associated with Monte do San Xoán.

These places thus bring together a viewpoint, recreational area, spring, the Way of St. James and local tradition. In particular, the names Venda do Río, Abeledo, Val and Monte do San Xoán anchor these references in Taboadela’s districts and settlements.

You can access other places directly: Maceda, Casdenodres, Feás, Coles, Vilanova, Faramontaos, Xinzo De Limia, Esposende.

Sports and Festive Culture

The sports facilities on Monte San Juan in Taboadela include a sports hall. They also include a large swimming pool for adults and another pool for children. A small children’s playground is likewise part of the facilities.

The Fiestas de San Miguel in Taboadela take place in May. They include sporting events, verbenas and a solemn Mass in honour of the saint.

The sports hall, swimming pools and playground are therefore grouped together on Monte San Juan. The two pools are named according to their intended user group: one is for adults and the other is intended for children. The Fiestas de San Miguel add sporting events, verbenas and the Mass in honour of the saint to this May event at the location.

Getting There

By road, Taboadela can be reached via the A 52 motorway and the N 525 and OU 320 main roads. By rail, Taboadela has a station on the Zamora–Ourense railway line.

For the higher-level travel overview: Ourense.