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Island of San Simón

Redondela, Vigo, Pontevedra

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 2 Activities · 2 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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Island of San Simón

Curiosity · Redondela, Vigo, Pontevedra

The island of San Simón belongs to the parish of Cesantes, in the municipality of Redondela, and is today uninhabited; it presides over the inlet of the same name, at the innermost point of the Ría de Vigo, and is joined by a bridge to the island of San Antón, with which it forms a group 250 metres long by 84 wide, next to the islets of San Bartolomé and San Norberto. Throughout its history it was used as a medieval monastic retreat, a quarantine station from 1838 to 1927, a prison and a home for orphaned children, and between 1936 and 1943 it operated as a Francoist concentration camp, through which some 6,000 prisoners passed. The group formed by the two islands has been a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection), with the status of historic site, since 29 July 1999.

Photo: Hugo P. (CC BY-SA 2.5 es)

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