Pontevedra and its Surroundings
The northwest of Spain
When you go to the northwest of Spain, one image will remain in your mind, and that is a clam shell. You’ll find them everywhere while in this region: on the plates, on the signs that show the direction towards the most important pilgrimage place in Spain and those that show the direction towards Santiago de Compostela.
This is also the region where you can visit Pontevedra and its beautiful surroundings.
About Pontevedra
Pontevedra is one of the most seductive cities in Galicia. According to legend, Pontevedra was founded by the Greek warrior Teucro, who fought in Troy. Historians say that the city developed thanks to the sardine fishing until the middle of the 16th century when the port was completely covered by sand.
As a result of its former prosperity, Pontevedra has numerous old buildings, very refined, built in granite, especially in the old part of the city. Nowadays, this part of the city is pedestrian. Squares like Praza de Teucro and Praza de Verdura are still full of traditional products that tourists can buy at good prices.
Prazza de Herreria is another place where tourists can go sightseeing. The square has a lot of gardens supervised by the monastery and by the Church of San Francisco, dating back to the 14th century. Opposite may be found the unusual Neo-Classic church Virgen la Peregrina, built in an elliptical form in order to host the statue of the city’s patron.
To the west, in the old fishing district, the Plateresque church Santa la Mayor is located. The powerful guild of fishermen built it in the 16th century. Some biblical scenes are easily brought into relief on the western facade. These scenes impress tourists by their purity and beauty.
The remarkable museum Museo de Pontevedra is located in five distinct places; three of them are oriented towards the Praza da Lena. The 17th century mansion that used to belong to Castro Monteagudo exposes splendid Celtic jewellery dating back to 700 before Christ, as well as a collection of Spanish, Italian and Flemish Renaissance paintings. The museum continues in a beautiful house next door, now completely restored, that used to belong to Garcia Florez.
A beautiful holiday
Choosing Pontevedra as a holiday destination is a wonderful idea for anyone because it is sure that there are a lot of sightseeing places and many relaxing things to do, so take advantage of it!!!