The most recognizable elements of Galician architecture. The Hórreos del Camino

The hórreos are traditional structures found in Galicia, Asturias, and other areas of northwestern Spain, primarily used for storing grain and protecting it from moisture and rodents. They are characterized by their elevated design, with pillars that allow for air circulation, and their gabled roofs. In addition to their practical function, hórreos are a fundamental part of the Galician rural landscape and a symbol of popular architecture. Some are decorated with details that vary according to the region, and their preservation is an important part of the cultural heritage.

During your adventure on the Camino de Santiago, you will find many fellow pilgrims, lush nature, rich historical heritage, and a wealth of local culture. In many towns and villages along the various routes, you will encounter much rural architecture, and in this article, we will talk about one example of it, the hórreos, a typical construction found in some of the regions traversed by the Jacobean routes, especially in Galicia.

Typical Galician hórreos

What is a hórreo?

Hórreos are stone and/or wooden constructions (although sometimes even made of cement and brick), generally with a square or rectangular shape, elevated or separated from the ground and with ventilation in their walls, which serve as granaries or storage for food in general. Closely linked to agricultural activity, they are generally the protagonists in rural settings.

Many pilgrims, upon seeing these constructions for the first time, ask our guides: "What are those little houses?"

A hórreo

The term comes from the Latin word horreum, which refers to a granary for storing grain, fruits from the field, and other foods. The need to store surpluses is very ancient, and even in the Cantigas of Alfonso X El Sabio (13th century), we can admire a miniature depicting hórreos.

Not only is there the name hórreo, but since they exist in other regions of Spain and even in other countries around the world, this type of construction may have other names: the Asturian panera, the Navarrese and Basque garaia, the Portuguese espigueiros, etc. In Galicia itself, it receives various names depending on the area: hórreo, cabazo, canastro, cabaceiro, etc. From Japan to Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, etc., you can travel and find different forms of hórreos, each with its own names.

Be that as it may, practically all of them are built in a more or less similar way, given the function they must fulfill, being very important that they are ventilated and elevated, or at least well separated from the ground, to avoid moisture and animals.

The Galician Hórreo

The Galician hórreo is raised and separated from the ground by paired columns, generally starting from 2 or 3 pairs. Atop this column is a round piece that protrudes, preventing access to mice, ants, etc. From there, the architraves begin to give a rectangular shape to the hórreo's base, with walls that leave spaces for ventilation, and finally it is topped with a gabled roof, at the ends of which there is usually a cross and another finial that can be lanceolate or round. It is usually constructed entirely of granite, although there are also wooden ones or a combination of both.

The Hórreo of Carnota

Depending on the size and material of the hórreo, it will denote whether the owning family is more or less wealthy: the wealthy would have hórreos made of carved granite, very long, while the poor would have wooden and shorter ones. The longest hórreos in Galicia, built of granite, are those of Araño (Rianxo), Carnota, and Lira (Carnota), which easily exceed thirty meters in length.

On the Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago, with its various routes, crosses several regions within Spain. We will always see hórreos within Galicia, as it is where all the routes converge. Outside of Galicia, we will see hórreos on the more northern routes, such as the Northern Way, the Primitive Way, and the French Way, where it is very common to find them in the countryside.

In the last 100 km of the French Way, you can find a large number of hórreos of various types. The hórreo of Toxibó (Portomarin) is an example of a hórreo made of granite and wood, majestically rising at the foot of the path. In Leboreiro (Melide), in front of its Church of Santa María, you will find a very unique example of a smaller hórreo made with branches and small woods, typical in this area and among humble families. Approaching Arzúa, we will encounter a larger and rectangular type of hórreo, almost like a house, where even the lower part was dedicated to livestock, and the upper part to granary.

The Hórreo of Toxibó

The English Way offers some examples of Galician hórreos, such as the one located in the place of Cruz (Ordes), a typical Galician hórreo made of granite. In addition to it, in this place you can admire a statue of Santiago Apostle and other more surreal ones, including dinosaurs.

On the Northern Way, before the town of Markina and diverting the route towards Etxebarría (Vizcaya), you can admire a beautiful and ancient specimen of Basque hórreo, the hórreo of the farmhouse Ibargüen. With stone supports, the rest of the construction is of fine carpentry.

In the last 100 km of the Primitive Way, once past the city of Lugo, the number of hórreos you will find will be overwhelming, with notable changes in style as you approach Arzúa and connect with the French Way.

A small hórreo in Lugo

In the last 100 km of the Portuguese Way, we will find many hórreos. In Ribadelouro, we can find one that is still used today as a storage for farming tools; it is usually open, and the pilgrim can observe its interior. Further ahead, in Pontesampaio, we will also find more examples of this construction. From Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis, and Padrón, they will be a constant throughout the journey.

The Sanabrés Way also showcases examples that we can find in the province of Ourense, such as in Oseira and its great monastery. And there are many more to discover until Santiago de Compostela.

The Hórreo of Oseira

If you decide to travel the Way to Finisterre and Muxía, you will find a large number of hórreos. When you arrive in Olveiroa (Dumbría), the hórreos will be the main attraction, perfectly integrated into this rural setting. And between Muxía and Fisterra, you must not miss the hórreos of Lires, a small village that also boasts the majesty of these granaries. Although they are off this route, as they are very close, in Carnota you can admire two of the longest hórreos in Galicia, the one in Carnota and the one in Lira, a true ode to good harvests.

The Hórreo of Dumbría

A good way to learn more about Galician hórreos, to see them, touch them, and perhaps talk to their owners, is to do the Camino de Santiago, and you already know that we will make it very easy for you.