Information about Sobrado dos Monxes
Sobrado dos Monxes is defined as a reference of the Galician Baroque and is located in the province of A Coruña, on the border with Lugo. It presents a great architectural wealth and different monuments of great interest being the most relevant the Monastery of Santa María de Sobrado.
Besides the interesting urban context, Sobrado dos Monxes also offers wonderful views and landscapes, filled with its traditional festivities. It is a village to live the tranquility, contemplate the beauty and let yourself be seduced.
What to see and do in Sobrado dos Monxes
The Monastery of Santa María de Sobrado
This building is one of the greatest heritage values of Sobrado dos Montes and is an obligatory stop for any traveller in the area. It is an imposing building of large dimensions and baroque style. It is located in the middle of the village of Sobrado and was founded in 952 by the Counts of Présaras.
The Cloister of Monxes
Next to the Monastery of Santa María de Sobrado you can find the emblematic Claustro dos Monxes. It is of great size, with three floors and more than 100 m of perimeter. This was one of the most important monasteries in the whole of Galicia during the Middle Ages and it is still impressive to visit and let yourself be carried away by its beautiful forms. Nowadays the Benedictine monks live there and they have rooms fitted out to accommodate pilgrims.
The Roman camp of Ciudadela
The historical curiosities and the valuable heritage of this town go back to really remote times. This manages to offer unparalleled value to this area which is exceptional for finding treasures that cannot be seen anywhere else such as the Roman camp of Ciudadela. This settlement was used between the 2nd and 4th century by the Roman corps. A jewel to move to other times.
The Sobrado Lagoon
The Sobrado Lagoon is the perfect destination for all those who are looking for contact with nature and want to enjoy the peace and quiet. It’s landscape is exciting and represents a wealth of local flora and fauna. Interestingly, it is not a natural geographical feature. The lagoon was artificially created by the monks between 1500 and 150.
The festivities in honor of St. Peter
The festivities of San Pedro are the patron saint festivities of this beautiful town. They can be enjoyed by any traveller who is in the area towards the end of June. During this event different religious acts are carried out according to the tradition of the place. When they finish, there are musical performances that entertain people of all ages and give way to a small summer verbena.
The festivities of Our Lady of Sorrows
Once the summer is over, the village dresses up again to celebrate the feast of the Virgen de los Dolores, this time it takes place in September. These festivities feature parades and different musical performances, an atmosphere of fun and with less religious overtones in which people enjoy the company day and night.
Local gastronomy
The gastronomy of Sobrado dos Monxes is also of great interest and attracts the attention of all palates. In the first instance, because this village is located in the area of the production of the famous Arzúa-Ulloa cheese so it is an excellent place to taste it accompanied by an exquisite Galician wine. On the other hand, the locality has its own dish of great reputation and it is the trout a la montañesa, they are specialists in elaborating this delicious recipe of fried trout, marinated with paprika and stuffed with slice of ham. If the diner has room for dessert, he should not miss the dulce de leche produced by the monks of the area with their own milk from Friesian cows.
The Pena da Moura and Forno dos Mouros dolmens
In this area you can also enjoy Galician mythology in all its splendour, as well as the historical remains that are so important in the richness of Sobrado dos Monxes. On the edge of Sobrado, specifically located in the Serra do Bocelo, there are some rigorously rounded crags that are part of the legend of the place, they say they were put there by men. Near this point is the dolmen of Forno dos Mouros, which contains some cave paintings. It is not in a very good condition nowadays, but it will undoubtedly be a very curious excursion for any pilgrim who decides to visit the place.
