You need to travel more than you ever imagined, don't you? Let's try to solve it!
Come with me to visit one of the most spectacular Iron Age hillforts of Atlantic Europe: San Cibrán de Las (San Amaro, #Galicia). It's going to suprise you!
Its name was Lansbrica (celt. 'The fort of the Middle/Plain'). What makes unique this 10-hectares oppidum is that was all built in a single time: late 2nd century BC. It's a masterpiece of Iron Age urbanism, showing a complex world of beliefs. #HillfortsWednesday
When Lansbrica was founded, all the surrounding hillforts collapsed. Each family received a similar amount of terrain to built their courtyard houses. Circular houses were kitchens or warehouses. Rectangular were workshops or bedrooms. #HillfortsWednesday
Latest theories suggest the Lansbrica people were Bracari coming from the southerns limits of Gallaecia, from where they moved maybe to run away from the growing Roman pressure. They crossed the legendary river Miño and set here, close to gold mines. #HillfortsWednesday
Houses were decorated with beautiful triskelions, some carved, and others still preserve red paintings. In latests excavations a head of a sleeper or dead man appeared. #HillfortsWednesday
To supply water to a 2500 inhabitants, fountains were used. They are still functional!
One was discovered on September 3, 1939. A boy ran to warn the archeologists of the beginning of IIWW. They were so astonished in the dig that they said: "Shut up, kid!". #HillfortsWednesday
Gates and ramparts are so impressive in Lansbrica. A complex system of towers and barbicans, guards rooms and stairs to move quickly all around the walls. #HillfortsWednesday
But what makes impressive Lansbrica is the urban planning: the scenic sense of the ramparts and the radial urbanism. Paved streets coming from gates to upper walled enclosure, the 'croa', which is intriguing and a very special place. #HillfortsWednesday
The thresholds of the houses were beautifully decorated with carved or painted triskelions. In the latest excavation a sleeper or dead man head was founded. #HillfortsWednesday
Two fountains supplied water to 2500 inhabitants. They are still in use!
One of them was discovered the September 3, 1939. A boy ran to warn the archaeologists of the beginning of IIWW. They were so amazed with the fountain that said: "Shut up, kid!". #HillfortsWednesday
Gates and ramparts are so impressive in Lansbrica. A complex system of towers and barbicans, guards rooms and stairs to move quickly all around the walls. #HillfortsWednesday
But what makes impressive Lansbrica is the urban planning: the scenic sense of the ramparts and the radial urbanism. Paved streets coming from gates to upper walled enclosure, the 'croa', which is intriguing and a very special place. #HillfortsWednesday
As you can see, the upper gate (right) is abnormally oriented. Why? Here's the sunset in the summer solstice, falling just in the middle of the gate? Impressive, hu? #HillfortsWednesday
The upper enclouse, the 'croa', was almost empty. But goddess names and images were found. The Gallaecians Nabia Abione, the Roman Iovi and an unknown Sadv Uladv. And maybe the protector of the town: Bandua Lansbricae. #HillfortsWednesday
This sacred upper enclosures can be found in southern Gallaecia (Monte Mozinho and Santa Lucía) and we do not know much about them, but sacred sense seems clear. Closer parallels are Gaulish oppida like Titelberg #HillfortsWednesday
Máis ou menos nestes días, no ano de 1147, o burgo de Faro, logo coñecido como A Coruña, viu aparecer unha flota inmensa. Era os barcos da Segunda Cruzada, que partira do porto inglés de Darmouth uns días antes. Nunha das crónicas deses días temos un dato ben intrigante.
Temos dúas crónicas de cruzados que dan conta das súas accións en Galicia e a súa peregrinación á catedral. A fonte máis coñecida é a dun destes guerreiros, Osbernus ou Osborne, que describe a principal acción desa campaña: a conquista de Lisboa en apoio a Afonso Henriques.
Pero imos centrarnos na visita a Faro, á Coruña, que describe Osborne. Nela entrecrúzase de xeito moi singular a realidade e a tradición oral. Por exemplo, fala dunha misteriosa ponte de 24 arcos que o mar vai desvelando pouco a pouco.
Even today, the hill of the ancient oppidum play a central role in the biggest Galician town, Vigo. Despite the fact that most of the hillfort of O Castro has been destroyed by a 17th century fortress, excavations have uncovered some intriguing structures.
#HillfortsWednesday
The old pictures of one of the largest hillforts of Gallaecia are simply stunning. You can see here the stone walls of the 17th fortress in the top. But in the slope, the well preserved Iron Age terraces and even ramparts!
#HillfortsWednesday
Excavations focused in the western slope, where a Late Iron Age and Roman occupation was unveiled. A lot of imported artifacts were found but also some interesting evidence of a workshop or another non domestic activities.
#HillfortsWednesday
No cruceiro norte da catedral de Ourense, na porta de subida á torre, enfronte da capela do Santo Cristo, atópase o que é un dos programas iconográficos máis enigmáticos da arte medieval galega. Unha batalla iniciática que abraia.
A pouco que un se fixe mirará algo estraño. Hai unha porta románica cun tímpano enriba, pero por riba unha especie de óculos dos que sobresaen enigmáticas figuras ata unha gran altura. Son aberturas da escaleira de caracol que sube ata o tellado.
Sobre a porta, a imaxe xa nos dá unha clave do que pode pasar: é Daniel no foxo dos leóns. De algún xeito, estanos avisando de que se pasamos esa porta imos estar rodeados de múltiples perigos e sen ningunha defensa.
Só nós fronte o descoñecido.
Na igrexa de Tállara (Lousame) hai un espectacular panteón que é como unha especie de manual da arte románica galega. Mesmo nos canzorros obscenos e nos gaiteiros!
O interesante é a historia humana que agacha.
No panteón está soterrado un curioso médico: Francisco Romero Blanco, natural de Tállara e reitor da USC (1838-1918). Romero foi home católico, conservador e, ollo-aí, un dos introdutores do darwinismo en Galicia.
Non me agocho: busquei símbolos ocultos no mausoleo. Unha mona?
Romero participou nos debates do seu tempo ao xeito galego: tentando conciliar acrobaticamente o darwinismo coas crenzas católicas na Creación. Saiulle regular e o resultado deulle crebadeiros de cabeza con todas as partes, e tamén coa propia Igrexa.
Hai pouco vimos sitios arqueolóxicos de época romana hoxe desaparecidos. Pero a Idade Media galega está chea de lugares e monumentos evocadores e desaparecidos.
Hoxe vouche presentar cinco sitios medievais galegos que espertan a imaxinación (e a polémica).
Veña!
1. O Mosteiro Máximo.
No século VI aparece o bispado de Britonia co seu bispo Maeloc participando nos concilios suevos. A hipótese máis aceptada é que se trata de bretóns fuxidos ante o ambiente de inestabilidade provocado polas invasións xermánicas de Britania.
O centro dese bispado, do que se dubida se é territorial, coma os outros galegos, ou 'étnico', é o famoso Mosteiro Máximo. Un cenobio que podería concentrar o poder relixioso desta comunidade bretoa e tamén certo poder político para cohesionar a estes exiliados.
Algúns dos máis grandes enigmas arqueolóxicos de Galicia teñen que ver con monumentos, fortes e cidades do Imperio Romano.
Vou falar de cinco sitios hoxe perdidos. A súa descuberta podería alumear como foi a conquista e dominio da Gallaecia por Roma.
Aviso: case todos estes sitios teñen feito correr RÍOS de tinta (e bytes) entre investigadores académicos e eruditos locais. Son sitios de alto voltaxe: xúntase localismo, política, ganas de gloria, vanidade e moito tempo libre. Non imos discutir de localizacións por aquí.
1. Torre de Augusto (o meu🔝).
Segundo Pomponio Mela, era un "monumento memorable" situado ao carón do río Sar. O texto menciona os ríos Lerez, Ulla, os praestamarcos (Barbanza). O contexto galego é claro.
Ten toda a pinta de ser un triunfo erixido tralas guerras de conquista.