Pontevedra Capital City

Dropping down from the inland mountains; a gentle journey from 800 metres to sea level past green fields, lush pasture and dense forests, only slightly prepares you for the surprise that waits in Pontevedra.

The roads leading into the city are the usual nightmare of casually (read thoughtlessly) parked cars, badly signposted roadworks, traffic jams and general bad organisation, but there are plenty of reasonably priced car parks that allow you to leave and forget about the metal chariot.

Pontevedra is positioned at the head of rivers (rias) Pontevedra and Lérez, part of the system of river, the rias baixas, that flow towards the Atlantic coast of Spain.

Its old town, situated in the heart of a modern city that vibrates with expectation, is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved collections of buildings in Spain. Grey granite, mica sparkling in the sun, mantles narrow streets paved in huge granite blocks that are worn rounded with the feet of centuries.

Like all the cities of Galicia, Pontevedra's origins are shrouded in mist. According to legend, an archer called Teurco who, it is claimed, fought in the Trojan wars, allegedly founded the city. Why he should have come to this part of the world is, you may (and with good reason) surmise, a mystery, although it seems to have had something to do with a family dispute.

Perhaps the most productive of times was during the roman occupation of Galicia. Many ruins and not so ruinous signs of their presence have been preserved for posterity.

Its position as a commercially important maritime city stems from the 15th and 16th centuries when the basis of the economy was the sardine. Continuous wars, the most notable involving the powerful English fleet, resulted in the destruction of the city in the 16th century.

The mid-18th century saw commercial activity being rekindled and Pontevedra was constituted as provincial capital in 1833. Its historic centre is an architectural treasure that, since 1951, has been granted the privileged position of being defined as a cultural-historical centre.

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

Routes and Places worth a Visit

Bridges have always played an essential role in the communications between the city and the provinces. The roman bridge that gave its name to the city (Pontevedra derives from Latin and means old bridge) has all but disappeared having been replaced by a medieval replacement that is worth crossing just to be able to say that you’ve walked in the footsteps of the ancients.

Important Fiestas

1 de May, Los Mayos. 11th July, the Romeria of San Benito de Lérez. 25th July de fiestas of Santiaguiño del Burgo. 9th August, the fiestas of the Virgin of the Peregrination. 5 and 6th September the Feria Franca.