The village of Castro Caldelas is perched on a hill near the Edo River in the magical Ribeira Sacra. You are in an area full of ancient churches, monasteries, sanctuaries and hermitages, but what dominates Castro Caldelas is something else. A medieval castle. Something quite difficult to see in Galicia because, although there were some, the vast majority were destroyed during the so-called Irmandiño Revolts.
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The village of Castro Caldelas is perched on a hill near the Edo River in the magical Ribeira Sacra. You are in an area full of ancient churches, monasteries, sanctuaries and hermitages, but what dominates Castro Caldelas is something else. A medieval castle. Something quite difficult to see in Galicia because, although there were some, the vast majority were destroyed during the so-called Irmandiño Revolts.
But let's start at the beginning. These places are known to have been populated thousands and thousands of years ago, although that part of the history remains somewhat hazy. The Romans, of course, made their appearance around the first century B.C., and they laid the road that connected Braga with Astorga along here, as well as setting up camp and entertaining themselves by looking for, and finding, gold in the area.
But it is in the Middle Ages when Castro Caldelas takes shape historically. Two monasteries were built nearby, the land was passed through the hands of several noble families, and the kings began to grant privileges to the town. In the fourteenth century, a castle was built on the top of the hill, ordered by the Lord of Lemos. But its walls and its homage tower were not going to remain intact for too long because in the second half of the following century the revolt against the atrocities of those lords of the castle began, and the fortress ended up in disaster.
Once the episode was over, the count on duty became very angry with the locals for having ruined his fortification. He smothered them with abusive taxes to rebuild it, so the villagers filed a lawsuit against him that would take decades to resolve, but which was finally settled in favour of the people.
The castle was eventually restored overcoming many obstacles, but it was left looking more like a Renaissance palace than a defensive bastion. But there were still unpleasant surprises to come, such as the War of Independence, in which Castro Caldelas' emblematic monument was charred by a Napoleonic general.
But fortunately, the beautiful town and its castle, overlooking the impressive canyon of the River Sil, were recovered. Today you can walk along its cobbled streets, observe the coats of arms of its houses and visit its old churches. You can also take the trails that will lead you through the surrounding oak and chestnut forests, and discover surprising things at every turn. You are in the Ribeira Sacra: so take advantage of it! There's a lot to see here!
