Arzúa (A Coruña) (0)

Did you know that... Arzúa

It is situated in the south-east of the province of La Coruña, on the border with Pontevedra, right on the Way of Saint James. It calls itself the land of cheese. Although Arzúa had its importance in medieval times, with its own jurisdiction and right of ownership, archaeological remains from prehistoric and Roman times have been found in the place. In the 19th century it was the scene of the Carlist Wars. In 1833, with the Law of Burgos and its division into provinces and municipalities, it was established that the capital of the municipality would become Arzúa and Burres would lose that status. Nowadays it is a modern town with an important cultural, sports and economic activity.

To discover What to see in Arzúa?

Arzúa has few buildings that recall history. One of them is the chapel of La Magdalena that dates back to the 14th century and is the only thing left of the convent of Augustinian monks that existed here. Where the French Way and the Northern Way meet you can see a stately building of the eighteenth century. Also noteworthy is the Pazo de Sedor, seventeenth century, founded by Francisco Gonzalez do Vilar better known as Francisco Pita da Veiga. In the square of Galicia, the monument to the cheesemakers of Arzúa is from the year 1984. Arzúa has a modern parish church dedicated to Santiago which was built in the middle of the 20th century. The Centro de Divulgación do Queixo e do Mel (Queixo and Mel Dissemination Centre), where you can learn more about these products, is a must in this land famous for its cheese and honey. But Arzúa also offers the visitor dream places immersed in its close natural environment as the reservoir of Portodemouros that bathes the province of A Coruña to the north, and Pontevedra to the south, or in the nearby village of Hortas can be enjoyed with La fervenza das Hortas, a waterfall more than 30 meters high and with two waterfalls.

Festivities

Arzúa celebrates its festivities in honour of San Juan on 24 June. The Cheese Fair is the first weekend in March.

Traditions

A tradition of yesteryear that has been recovered years ago is the feast in homage to the pilgrim. Coinciding with the magical night of San Juan, the locals randomly choose a pilgrim and dedicate a star-shaped plaque that the pilgrim will place on the Estrelas Wall, also this pilgrim is the one that lights the traditional bonfire.

Curiosities

In Arzúa, year after year since 1976, during the first weekend of March, the Festa do Queixo de Arzúa (Queixo Festival of Arzúa) has been held, bringing together producers from the area to showcase and sell their product. In this great gastronomic festival are also held cultural events in which the theater, music and workshops are mixed with the protagonist of the festival, Arzúa cheese, which bears the mark of Quality Galician Product with Denomination of Origin Arzúa-Ulloa along with the municipalities of Cuntis, Melide, O Pino, Santiso, Sobrado, Toques, Touro, Vilasantar, Friol, Monterroso and Palas de Rei.

The Legend

It is customary on San Juan night to write a wish and either keep it or burn it at the stake. Oral history tells us that on this night a pilgrim asked a close relative of hers to whom a liver was to be transplanted, for a solution to be found soon, and it is said that the following morning this pilgrim received the good news of it.