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The castro of Castromao

Celanova, Terra de Celanova, Ourense

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The castro of Castromao

Nature · Celanova, Terra de Celanova, Ourense

The castro of Castromao

A fortified settlement on a height overlooking the town, occupied from the Bronze Age and fully Romanised afterwards. It is linked to the people of the Coelerni, who gave their name to this district in pre-Roman times. Sited on a knoll 732 metres high, with a walled enclosure of about two hectares, it was inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 3rd century, and its name, meaning bad castro, is thought to allude to its poor agricultural potential. Excavations, begun in 1963, brought to light a tessera hospitalis from the year 132 AD, sealing a pact of hospitality between its inhabitants and a senior Roman military officer, along with pottery from every period and a zoomorphic figure representing a crouching ape. It was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection) in 2018.

Photo: PNOA (Attribution)

What to see and do in Celanova