The Way of Saint James

O Carballiño is strategically located as an access point to Santiago de Compostela from southern Galicia and Portugal, which explains why more than one route passes through this area. We can mention the variant of the Vía da Prata, the “Nós Way”. In June 1926, members of the Nós Generation —Javier Pardo, Ramón Otero Pedrayo, Vicente Risco, Lois Feixó, Monxardín and Antón Sánchez— made a pilgrimage from Ourense to Santiago de Compostela. Since they were from Ourense, it was expected that they would have chosen the Vía da Prata, but they decided to follow another medieval route included in the maps of Domingo Fontán, the Verea Vella or Camiño dos Arrieiros (Santiago Ways, 2020). The route of their journey was described in detail in Javier Pardo’s story “En el Camino de San-Yago” (On the Way to Saint James) in A Nosa Terra magazine. This short story, published in installments, describes every stage in different publications between July 1926 and April 1927. In 2020, the centenary of the Xeración Nós (Nós Generation), on the eve of a new Holy Year of Compostela and also approaching the centenary of the journey, an opportunity arose to commemorate this event. For this reason, the Camiño Xeración Nós Association was created (La Región, 2020) with the aim of obtaining the declaration of a Cultural Route for this path as a variant of the Sant Jaques Way-Vía da Prata. The association is made up of the municipalities of Ourense, Amoeiro, Maside, O Carballiño, O Irixo, Lalín, Silleda, A Estrada, Vedra and Boqueixón, with the support of the Deputación Provincial of Ourense, the Department of Culture of the Xunta de Galicia (Galician Regional Government), and the Otero Pedrayo, Vicente Risco, Antón Losada Diéguez, Castelao and Ínsua dos Poetas Foundations. The second stage of this route begins precisely in O Carballiño, heading towards Silleda.

Another route that also passes through this territory is the so-called Camiño da Geira e dos Arrieiros. This route starts in Braga (Portugal), follows the Roman Geira (a Roman road that connected Braga and Astorga) to Portela do Home (the border with Galicia), and then continues along the main route of the muleteers who transported Ribeiro wine to Santiago. We must also mention the Miñoto Way, one of the oldest routes linking northern Portugal with Santiago de Compostela. For most of its length, it follows the same old muleteer routes, Roman roads and medieval paths. This interconnected nature dates back to ancient times, linking hill forts and prehistoric settlements, in addition to the vast abundance of megalithic sites and burial mounds. It encompasses, among other characteristics, three differentiating elements that give it its own specific character: “Nature, Thermalism and Wine”.