Pontevedra Province

Forming part of the administrative autonomy of Galicia, this oprovince is located in the north-eastern part of Spain and in the south-eastern part of the community of Galicia.

The history of this part of the world is ancient. Although evidence of early human habitation is not very extensive there are some clues, including carve stone axes and arrowheads that place first human contact in the Stone Age.

There is, however, a lot of evidence of human habitation that dates back to between 3,000 and 1,800 years B.C. In common with other communities of this nature, this evidence is usually in the form of mysterious burial chambers known as tumuli. Several have been discovered to date and archaeologists are still busy discovering more.

Culture continued to evolve throughout the Iron Age but took a great leap forward when the Romans arrived in the Iberian Peninsula. These latter took a great interest in the development of this part of the world and, especially in Vigo, developed the port area along the coastline. There are many roman ruins throughout the province of Pontevedra including ports, streets lined with flagstones, drainage systems, salinas and much other evidence of economic activity.

Medieval times saw a flourishing of romanic architecture and religious influence dominated the Galician society. There are many fine examples of romanic architecture throughout the province, a fact that emphasizes the importance of the religious community during the XI to the XIII centuries.

The Peninsula War of Independence was a time of great upheaval for all of Galicia and many battles between Spanish, British and Portuguese forces were liberated on the soil of Pontevedra. In common with much of Spain, many of the major cities and smaller villages were occupied by the French and suffered from their vandalism. However, there were several notable examples of heroism against the invaders by the local populous. In particular in Vigo, a popular rising forced the French from the city, which resulted in the city receiving the title of Faithful, Loyal and Valiant.

Pontevedra and the Sea

Pontevedra has always had a close relation with the sea. It was the Romans who first developed mass use of the coastal facilities, which are still considered to be amongst the best in the world, although many civilizations, including the ancient Phoenicians used the natural harbours as protection from the storms that frequently battered the Galician coastline.

Because the waters are well-oxygenated by the mixing action of the wind; a feature that provides an excellent environment for marine life, Pontevedra is perhaps one of the best places on earth in which to eat seafood. In particular, the fat, juicy mussels freshly plucked from wave tossed waters, served with a little lemon and washed down with a rich, yet subtle Rias Baixas white wine are the closest thing to culinary perfection in Spain.

More information: http://www.concellopontevedra.es/