Intramuros route: Within the Walls of Ribadeo

The town centre used to be guarded by a wall until relatively recently in History, and some of its remains linger on as part of other constructions in la Calle de la Muralla. This fine stonework wall protected a large part of the population and has a fortress as its last stronghold. The main entrance was located in what is now Plaza del Campo. In the 16th century there used to be 6 gates: one for water, one for the town, Pena, Guimarán, Santo Domingo, and Cabanela.

About this route

• Duration: ca. 45 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Type: On foot
• Additional information: There are some stairs in this route. There are great views at nighttime.

Torre de los Moreno – The Ancient Fortress

The grounds upon which the iconic Torre de los Moreno stands used to be home to the Fortress, as well as one of the old wall's posterns.

Calle Ibáñez

Following the old wall's straight course from Cabanela you will find the houses of Calle Ibáñez. A crenellated path used to link the Fortress with the village of Cabanela. At the start of the road, now named Méndez San Julián (formerly known as Calle Travesa and later Calle del Correo), stood Puerta Cabanela, also called Puerta del Canónigo.

This street is an homage to Antonio Raimundo Ibáñez, founder of the Sargadelos steelworks. The medieval wall used to stand upon the grounds now occupied by houses. These range from traditional residences (18th and 19th century) to modern dwellings. At the end of the road are the Sagrado Corazón school and chapel, founded in 1918 on a commission by Juan José Solís, who entrusted it to the Daughters of Charity of San Vicente de Paul. This institution took over the adjoining pazo, built in the 18th century and belonging to the Rego Mastache family, until they moved in 1967.

Cabanela

Along with Porcillán, this was the cradle of Ribadeo. Despite its age, Cabanela was long considered a suburb of the town, as it lay outside the city walls. For centuries, this village thrived on agriculture (there are medieval accounts of vineyards and crop fields) and fishing.

Porcillán

This was the location of Puerta de Santo Domingo, so called because of the legend that said that St. Dominic was there before he embarked on the Albigensian Crusade, inititated by Pope Innocent III, on Ribadeo's harbour.

Calle Viejo Pancho

This street contains many landmarks of Ribadeo's architecture and is an homage to author José María Alonso Trelles y Jarén, born in Ribadeo and known by the pseudonym “El Viejo Pancho”. This is the last stretch of an old medieval road starting in Porcillán and ending in Puerta del Agua , on the corner of Viejo Pancho and Antonio Otero streets.

Calle San Miguel

This old road went around part of the wall heading to San Miguel chapel, by the harbour. The meandering nature of the road, as well as some of the residences along its course, hint at its age. Halfway through this road there are some single-storey houses built in the 20th century, perhaps a reinterpretation of the traditional village abodes from a relatively recent past. At the end, opposite Cuartel Viejo, stands a magnificent hórreo in the style of Mondoñedo.

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