Torres de Oeste, Catoira, Spain - SpottingHistory.com

Oeste Towers (Torres de Oeste) is located at the head of the Ría de Arousa. The towers remaining today are the ruins of Castellum Honesti. In the 9th century, King Alfonso III of Leon built the castle as a defense against Viking attacks. The two remaining towers are from this period, and have a pre-Roman style. Pre-Roman ceramics and bronze tools have been discovered at the site.

Two centuries later, King Alfonso V of Leon donates the fortress to the bishopric of Iria-Compostela, held at that moment by bishop Vestruarius. Subsequent bishops Cresconio, Diego Pelaez and Diego Gelmirez undertook the commitment to strengthen the Castle in order to protect the holy site of Santiago de Compostela. The structure of the Castle was defined in the 12th century. At that time, the enclosure of the Castle was formed by seven towers, and it was surrounded by marshes. The Castle has a 12th-century chapel built by Gelmirez to honor the apostle Saint James. The Castellum Honesti began its decline in the 15th century.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Marc Ll. (9 months ago)
Great place to walk around, either kids or elder people, with some historic background.

Paul Greenwell (2 years ago)
Tucked under the main road bridge. A lovely park with ruined castle on the banks of the river. Odd site but rather lovely. Recommended if you are in the area. Here's a photo but it doesn't do justice to the location or the viking boats moored up beside it.

Ramiro Bestilleiro Rey (2 years ago)
The grounds are clean, but the views and lines of sight are ruined by the road bridge above and the railway bridge further out. It's a shame no effort seems to have been made to renovate in some way the chapel, thr onky fully intact building of the these ruins. As it is, it cannot be entered.

Grazia Lorusso (3 years ago)
Magic atmosphere! I saw this monument from the boat while l was going from Villanova to padron. Early morning with the sunrise and a bit if fog it was very special!

Mark Auchincloss (3 years ago)
The remains of the 9th century fortifications ( called the western towers) that the Christians led by the bishop, Gelmirez built to defend one of the strategic entrances to Galicia originally against the Viking invasions. You get amazing views from the road bridge above. Nice walkways to arrive here too. The Viking festival here is spectacular. Even a variation of the Camino de Santiago passes here too.

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Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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