Manuel Gago Profile picture
Mar 16 5 tweets 4 min read
This is the Castro Cercio hillfort (Monterroso, #Galicia). For me, one of the most challenging and intriguing Iron Age sites of inland Galicia. A possible seat of power reinforced with a symbolic use of geology.

Let's take a look!

#HillfortsWednesday Image
The Cercio hillfort is just at the beginning of a longitudinal outcrop of quartzites, running all along the hills for several km. In a sunny day, it's really difficult for your eyes moving along the outcrop. It shines so bright that it blinds you.

#HillfortsWednesday ImageImage
In the nearby town of Lugo (former Roman Lucus Augusti) a Ist AD tombstone was found, remembering the prince Vecius son of Veroblius.
He died at his 60s, and was chief of the Castellum Circine, from the Copori people. Epigraphy and the current placename suggest nice links. Image
There is another intriguing feature. The inner wall, dividing the fortress, is quite a performance. It is higher than the rest of the outer walls. It looks bizarre, but maybe, if you are a prince, and this is your seat, you need to build something majestic.
#HillfortsWednesday Image
There is another hillfort right at its foot. But while Castro Cercio was abandoned, a very old church was built in the centre of the site below, with a farmers village surrounding it.
Maybe the prince were gone, but the servants remained. 😉
📸 of the church: J.A. Gil ImageImage

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More from @magago

Mar 23
The San Millán hillfort (Cualedro, #Galicia) preserves, almost intact, massive dry stone ramparts, gates and other features. It was inhabited from V-IV BC up to a Late Roman occupation. But there's many questions still open there. 👇
#HillfortsWednesday Image
For example, close to a probably South gate there is one of the best preserved chevaux de frise defense I have ever seen. Many of the stones still stands up, making it hard your walk. You can see a clear path in the middle to allow you to reach the gate.

#HillfortsWednesday Image
The impressive wall was carefully built around the III BC., but there is evidence of a older, cyclopean rampart (in red), almost totally dismantled. According to @Xeitura excavators, it have links with another close hillfort, totally refurbished in the III BC.
#HillfortsWednesday ImageImageImage
Read 4 tweets
Mar 20
O 5 de xuño de 1808, os deputados das cidades galegas convocan cortes e o Reino de Galicia asume toda a soberanía en ausencia do rei.
Desde ese día o Reino vai “obrar con absoluta independencia do goberno de Madrid”.
A guera vaise librar nos campos e... nas letras. 👇
Teño nas miñas mans un documento excepcional.
Está datado o 9 de xuño, 4 días despois da sinatura da acta na que as 7 cidades recuperan a soberanía do reino.
Conserva aínda a cola coa que estivo pegado nalgures.
Unha das primeiras comunicacións públicas do Reino de Galicia.
O Reino de Galicia afirma nese documento que está sen un can. "Os nosos valerosos guerreiros marcharon sen víveres, sen diñeiro".
Pide cartos para arrincar. E dá esperanza. "Xa goberna o Reino. A súa probidade e intelixencia impedirá que se malverse o máis mínimo maravedí".
Read 20 tweets
Mar 14
En marzo de 1809, durante a ocupación francesa, Muros era unha vila próspera. Porto refuxio de numerosos barcos internacionais e con ligazóns de comercio. Os franceses non chegarán ata alí.

Ata que un día a poboación civil viviu un dramático episodio de terror colectivo. 👇 Image
Trala derrota de Moore, o exército galego, comandado por Pedro Caro, marqués de La Romana, ficara diezmado. Romana evitaba a confrontación directa co francés, e designou comisionados que se desprazaran polo país para crear 'Alarmas', guerrillas para hostigar o inimigo. Image
Un deles era Manuel Taboada, xuíz de Cotobade. Un tipo bastante negado ao que se lle amotinaron ata os do seu propio partido xudicial. Taboada, xunto co padre Romero, do que falaremos outro día, dirixiuse a Muros co obxectivo de alzar o estremo occidental de Galicia. Image
Read 13 tweets
Mar 12
Nunha guerra os exércitos operan de múltiples xeitos.
Na Guerra da Independencia, en xaneiro de 1809, as tropas británicas foron evacuadas de emerxencia na Coruña, nunha situación con moitos paralelos con Dunquerque (1940).
Pero non todos os barcos marcharon. ImageImage
Os franceses tomaron Galicia cun importante exército de terra. Pero carecían dunha forza naval.
E o mar en Galicia converteuse nun espazo incrible de resistencia e reacción. Con miles de historias incribles.
Vouvos contar unha que se cadra vos resulte familiar para estes días. Image
O goberno británico deu instruccións para que uns cantos barcos de guerra patrullaran o litoral, obtendo información e apoiando posibles focos de insurxencia.
Barcos como a fragata Endymion, a Loire, o Statira, o Plover, o Lively, Venus...
Vendo a guerra desde a distancia. ImageImageImage
Read 12 tweets
Mar 7
A primeira poeta (coñecida) en galego apelídase "de Castro", pero non se chama Rosalía! Foi 1 gran dama do Renacemento e demostrou unha técnica poética notable.

E garda un misterio non resolto ata hoxe. Pero misterio, misterio...

Vouvos falar de Isabel de Castro e Andrade.
👇
Isabel era un puro retrato da alta aristocracia europea da época. Ela, da poderosa casa de Lemos, señores da Galicia interior; casou co conde de Altamira, poderoso señor da Galicia oceánica. Pasou longas estadías en Portugal e en Italia que a deberon marcar na súa cultura.
Neses ambientes cultos e cortesáns foi como coñeceu a Alonso de Ercilla, o autor do épico poema La Araucana que narra a conquista de Chile, e unha das grandes obras en español do Renacemento.

Desa amizade naceu o único poema en galego que conservamos de Isabel de Castro.
Read 10 tweets
Feb 23
During the night of the 7th of September, the local community of Castelo (Taboada, #Galicia) performs an exciting and breathtaking ritual in their charming and univallate hillfort of Castro do Castelo.
👇
#HillfortsWednesday Image
In the previous days, families collect the 'agucios' to build the 'fachas':(8-9 mts high torches). The fachas are placed all around the circular rampart ot the hillfort.

#HillfortsWednesday ImageImageImageImage
When all the fachas are placed in the rampart, the view of the hillfort from the village is stunning and thrilling. Something is going to happen.
But before, there is a huge community feast, all together, young and old.

Until midnight...

#HillfortsWednesday ImageImageImageImage
Read 6 tweets

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