Monforte de Lemos

Monforte de Lemos is a 18,599 inhabitants Galician town in the south of the province of Lugo by river Cabe, being the capital city of Ribeira Sacra county, famous for its wine. Monforte de Lemos brightness period goes back to the 16th-17th centuries, when Lemos County was one of the most influential in Spain. It's also important because it's Galicia's most important railway junction, when the line from the Meseta Central plateau to Vigo and A Coruña forked there.

How do I arrive to Monforte de Lemos?

  Monforte de Lemos is quite well connected with other places in the provinces of Lugo and Ourense in many ways, but also with the nearby area of El Bierzo. 

• Train: the routes in Galicia link Monforte de Lemos with Lugo (aprox. 1 hour), A Coruña (aprox. 2 hours 30 minutes) and Ourense (aprox. 45 minutes) 7 times every day. It's also the starting point of the train line that connects Galicia with El Bierzo, reaching Ponferrada (aprox. 1 hour) more than 7 times per day.
• Bus: Monforte de Lemos has some connections with some cities of Galicia like Lugo or Ourense but it has connections with other Spanish cities like Ponferrada, León, Madrid or Barcelona.
• Car: if you rented a car, it's 50 minutes from Lugo, 1 hour far from Mondoñedo, 1 hour 10 minutes from A Coruña and 1 hour 30 minutes from Santiago de Compostela and Ourense.

History

The area that is nowadays Monforte used to be inhabited by the Lemavi, an ancient Gallaecian Celtic tribe and later by the Romans. After the dissolution of the Roman Empire, it was occupied by the Suebi and Visigoths. Middle Ages were years quite prolific for Monforte because of Lemos Countship. Some of the most important counts were cardinal Rodrigo de Castro Osorio (who improved the town) and Pedro Fernández de Castro y Andrade (president of the Council of the Indies, viceroy of Naples and cultural sponsor of artists like Cervantes); it also had an important Jewish population till their expulsion in 1492. Monforte de Lemos was attacked three times by the French army in 1809. In 1883 the king Alfonso XII of Spain opened up the railway between A Coruña and Madrid, when Monforte became the natural entrance to Galicia. The town presented some resistence during the Spanish Civil War so after it, its main economic engine (the railway) was moved to León and to Ourense, so Monforte suffered a period of decline which has recently stopped, specially due to tourism and its Parador, considered one of the most beautiful of its kind.    

What can I visit in Monforte de Lemos?

Pontevedra is an excellent place to have a walk and it has been awarded with several prices for its accesibility. Pontevedra Old Town streets are all pedestrian walkways and wonderful squares like praza da Leña, praza da Verdura, praza Méndez Núñez, praza da Ferrería or praza das Cinco Rúas, where ending up in a terrace having a drink or discovering its old churches.

These are Monforte de Lemos' main attractions:

• Ribeira Sacra Wine Center (10-14 and 17-21; 2.50€ with tasting included): museum that shows the features and history of this winery area around rivers Miño and Sil, that has its own microclimate. Currently most of its wine is produced and consumed by individuals. You can also buy Ribeira Sacra wine here.
• Nossa Señora da Antigua College (two daily guided tours; 3.50€): college founded by cardinal Rodrigo de Castro and used by Jesuits till they were expelled from Spain (1768). It can be visited its church and cloister, where enjoying beautiful stairs and the only paintings by El Greco located in Galicia. It's commonly refered as Escolapios, the Galician version of El Escorial.
• St. Clara Convent: 17th century Poor Clares convent founded by the Counts of Lemos. It hosts Monforte de Lemos Sacred Art Museum (four daily guided tours; 6€), museum that has the collection of sacred art that the Counts of Lemos gave the convent, with 17th century Italian Renaissance art (obtained during the time they were part of Napoli vicerroyalty). One of its most outstanding pieces is a copy of Pietà by Michelangelo.
• Lemos Castle Ruins (10-21 Tue-Sat; 11-14 Sun; free): this tower is the only remaining part of Lemos Castle, destroyed when Pedro de Castro rebelled against the Catholic Monarchs.
• Monastery of St. Vicente do Pino (11-13:30 and 17-19:30 Tue-Sun from Jul to Sep; booking on advance during weekends from Oct to Jun; 1.50€): Benedictine monastery with a nice cloister that nowadays is used as a parador.
• Monforte de Lemos Roman Bridge: Roman bridge that crosses Cabe river and which was rebuilt during Middle Age.
• Railway Museum of Galicia (11-14 and 16-19 Tue-Fri; 12-14 and 17-19 Sat-Sun; 3€/ 1€  adults/kids): nice museum dedicated to one of the activities that increased Monforte's importance when Madrid-A Coruña railway was built in 1883. It shows train engines and carriages from the beginning of the 20th century, objects related to trains and an impressing mockup.
• Going 8 km west, in the municipality of Pantón, it can be visited Ferreira Monastery (10-13 and 16-18; free), a 17th century Cistercian monastery with the tombs of Lemos family. Its nuns produce and sell tasty pastries. Just 4 km from here there's the Monastery of St. Miguel de Eiré (booking on advance), remains of a 12th century monastery with a squared church and curious paintings on its abse.
• Continuing our way northwest, in the municipality of O Saviñao (Saviñao in Spanish; 20 km from Monforte de Lemos), it can be found St. Estevo do Ribas do Miño Church, 12th century church with a cute semicircular abse, one of the most beautiful Romanesque rose windows and a magnificent porch. In the northeastern part, also 20 km from Monforte de Lemos (this one in the municipality of O Incio (Incio in Spanish)), there's St. Pedro Fiz Church, 12th century religious built in marble (the only one in this material in Galicia). It's composed of a bell tower, church (with a 13th century Christ wood sculpture) and a small mausoleum (that belongs to Quiroga family).

Nossa Señora da Antigua College

Cloister of the Monastery of St. Vicente do Pino

Sil Canyon view from Madrid Balcony

Quite close to Monforte de Lemos it can be discovered Ribeira Sacra area, with the magnificent Sil Canyon, whose landscape isn't only impressing but also has many places to visit (especially monuments in Romanesque style). But before reaching it, it's recommended to stop in Sober, a 2,301 inhabitants town just 10 km south from Monforte de Lemos that is a good starting point for this journey. It has several viewpoints like O Boqueriño Viewpoint, A Cividade Viewpoint, Santiorxo Viewpoint (probably the best one of this list) and Caldeiras Viewpoint. It's also a good point to practice kayak or take a catamaran and enjoy beautiful Sil river. The parish of Gundibós is a famous potter village and at Elías Pottery (10:30-13:30 and 16-19 Tue-Sun; 2€) you can learn this artisan job and its history. From Sober you can drive to Doade, another parish of Sober with some of the most spectacular landscapes at Sil Canyon, where visiting some wineries like Regina Viarum or Adega Algueira. 

St. Estevo de Ribas de Sil Monastery

The next stop in our trip is Parada de Sil, a 564 inhabitants village with beautiful St. Cristina de Ribas de Sil Monastery, remains of one of the most important monasteries in the area during Middle Ages, with a 12th century Romanesque church with 13th century Gothic elements (its cloister is very peaceful and relaxing); and a beautiful viewpoint, Madrid Balcony. In the municipality of Nogueira de Ramuín (2,011 inhabitants) there are two awesome monasteries: St. Estevo de Ribas de Sil Monastery, 10th century monastery that was enlarged in the 16th century and has a nice Romanesque church and a wonderful cloister (currently it works as a parador; and St. Pedro de Rocas Monastery (10:30-13:45- and 16-19:45 from May to Sep; 10:30-13:45- and 16-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; free), 6th century monastery rebuilt in the 12th century, with a beautiful design and combination with the rocks (it's one of the oldest and most visited in the region). From Doade if you decide to go 15 km southeast you can arrive to the town of Castro Caldelas, a 1,224 inhabitants town with a nice 14th century castle very with well-preserved, Castro Caldela Castle (10-14 and 16-20; 2€), where getting good views too.

Where can I eat in Monforte de Lemos?

The recommendations in Monforte de Lemos are definitively trying the most popular wine in Galicia, ribeira sacra (DO), using in company of some tapas. Then, for eating, some suggestions with low-middle prize are the restaurant Trespés (rúa Méndez Casal 1), tapas bar Rabenos (rúa Doutor Teijeiro 56), the restaurant La Polar (rúa Cardenal Rodrigo de Castro 13) or tapas bar Brancellao (Avenida de Galicia 33). In case your budget higher a choice is trying the Galician restaurant Edulis (praza Campo da Compañía 39).

Posted in: Europe,Galicia,Spain