The Ourense Provincial Archaeological Museum occupies the building that was the Bishop’s Palace. It is one of the best preserved civil monumental ensembles in Romanesque style, and was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931. Its structure is a faithful testimony of the development of the city, with Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and modern elements. Its construction began in the 12th century and played an important role in the medieval urban organization.
The site was already occupied in Roman times, as evidenced by the discovered building remains, and subsequently by a high-medieval necropolis.
The present building was built in the 12th century, and its main façade is now, after many reforms in the surroundings, a Romanesque courtyard. Over the centuries it underwent modifications and extensions that altered its general appearance. So, the added elements are Gothic (tower of Santa Maria), Renaissance (garden galleries), Baroque (the main entrance) and modern (arcades in Bispo Carrascosa street).
The Archaeological Museum, founded in 1895, finally settled in this building in 1951, undergoing a restoration, according to a project by Pons Sorolla in 1960-1968.
The Aberlemno Sculptured Stones are a series of five Class I and II Early Medieval standing stones found in and around the village of Aberlemno. The stones with Pictish carvings variously date between about AD 500 and 800.
Aberlemno 1, 3 and 5 are located in recesses in the dry stone wall at the side of the road in Aberlemno. Aberlemno 2 is found in the Kirkyard, 300 yards south of the roadside stones. In recent years, bids have been made to move the stones to an indoor location to protect them from weathering, but this has met with local resistance and the stones are currently covered in the winter.
Aberlemno 4, the Flemington Farm Stone was found 30 yards from the church, and is now on display in the McManus Galleries, Dundee.