Sobroso Castle, A Pena, Spain

Due to its strategic position, the Sobroso castle was known as 'the key of the Kingdom of Galicia'. The name of the Castle, and the village itself, comes from the Latin SUBEROSUM, in reference to the 'sobreiras', Quercus suber or cork trees that once surrounded it.

The oldest reference to Sobroso Castle dates back to 1096. The castle that stands today dates back to the 14th or 15th century construction consisting of 2 enclosures. The outer one is irregular and the entrance is made through a drawbridge, and the inner one is rectangular with its keep on its weakest side.

In the 15th century, Sobroso Castle saw the fight between the Sarmientos and Pedro Madruga, but after that the castle wasn't much active.

The castle was restored from its ruinous state thanks to the efforts of local journalist Alejo Carrera Muñoz, who in 1923 bought the ruins of the castle from the Count of Torre Cedeira. He carried out the restoration work single-handedly, without any help from local authorities, until his death in 1967. In 1981, the neighbouring municipality of Ponteareas purchased the castle from Carrera's only child, Zita Teresa Carrera Ferreira, for 30 million pesetas. From 1995 onwards, the local council began their own restoration work on the castle.

The castle currently houses a cultural and ethnographic museum.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Jose Lopez (6 years ago)
Beautifully place

Mark Auchincloss (6 years ago)
This is one of most beautiful castles in Galicia dating back to early 12th Century & is situated on Landín Hill 334 m above sea level overlooking Condado valley & River Tea close to Portuguese border in dense 30 hectares of woodland ( with over 40 different species of trees). You can see over 100 villages from top !! It's named after the cork trees which once stood here. It's in Ponteareas Council area. The scene of alot of conflicts between those trying to gain control of it.

Anton frolov (6 years ago)
Small castle in perfect condition and with magnificent views from the tower. Has a small exhibition inside. 30 minutes will be enough for the visit. Definitely " vale a pena" PS Be aware of siesta hours !)

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Christian Lauw

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Sobroso Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche