Culturgal

From November 29th to December 1st. Pontevedra

The Feira das Industrias Culturais de Galicia, Culturgal, will celebrate its twelfth edition this weekend bringing together creators from diverse fields such as literature, music, theater and audiovisuals in Pontevedra. The public can visit 80 different stands and attend about 120 activities.

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Pilgrimage of San Andrés de Teixido

November 30th. Cedeira

Saturday is the Feast of the Apostle San Andres, so the San Andres sanctuary will also live one of the most important pilgrimage days of its annual calendar. The faithful will return to this place of pilgrimage, rites and legends to fulfill a secular tradition.

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Handmade Bethlehem of Valga

From December 1st. Valga

With the arrival of the month of December, its popular Artisan Bethlehem in Motion opens its doors in Valga. More than 3,000 pieces form this spectacular staging prepared by a group of neighbors. Its uniqueness has led to it being declared a celebration of tourist interest.

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Galicia, a story in the world

Until April 12th. Santiago de Compostela

A selection of pieces of great historical importance for the history and culture of this land and coming from various countries of the world come together in the exhibition that has just opened its doors in the Gaiás Center Museum, of the City of Culture. This is the first major exhibition organized by the Xunta on the occasion of Xacobeo 2021.

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Cineuropa

Until November 28th. Santiago de Compostela

The present edition of the Cineuropa festival concludes this week after almost a month of cinema. But before saying goodbye, the public can still enjoy four days of projections at the Teatro Principal, the Teatro Theater and the Multicines Compostela, and the awards ceremony.

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Outono Códax Festival

November 29th and December 1st. Santiago de Compostela

There are two appointments that those responsible for the Outono Códax Festival have scheduled for this week. Andrew Combs (Sala Riquela) will perform on Friday 29th and Gisele Jackson & The Shu Shu’s and The Fabulous Resaca Brothers (Capitol Room) will do it on Sunday 1st.

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Any time of the year is good to go to San Andrés de Teixido, but on November 30th (and the previous days) it is one of the most marked dates because it is the day on which the festival of the patron of the place is celebrated. There are several rites that will have to be fulfilled by those who approach there: take a stone along the way to deposit it in a “milladoiro” (rock mounds deposited by pilgrims); kiss the small image of the saint inside the sanctuary, visit the miraculous fountain or make the bouquet of St. Andrew. Another of the rites of the place was related to the famous “Herba de Namorar” (weed to fall in love), although today it has been affected because it is an endangered species that should not be torn off.

The pilgrimage to San Andrés began at least in the 12th century, but its importance as a place of worship starts much earlier, which allows us to see how, as with other celebrations, millenary customs and superstitions are hidden under the Christian culture. Already in the time of the Celts, these places enthralled the inhabitants of the area, which made them the scene of various rituals related to the transit of earthly life to the beyond through the seas. Local tradition relates these rites directly to the Holy Company to indicate that the souls in pain that make up this spooky procession also go to San Andrés de Teixido looking for the gateway to the next life. Hence the famous expression “A San Andrés de Teixido vai de morto quen non foi de vivo” (To San Andrés goes live who didn’t go dead).

The transition from the Celtic tradition to Christianity did not subtract mysticism from the place and even gave rise to more mythical tales. One of them tells that the place is dedicated to San Andrés because the saint himself stepped on those lands. According to this legend, the saint arrived in a ship that was shipwrecked and his remains became a rock, known as the Barca de San Andrés (Saint Andrew’s boat) for its resemblance to an inverted hull. Another one of these stories places Jesus Christ and Saint Peter in Teixido and tells that the first ordered Saint Andrew to remain in the place assuring him that he would never miss the visits of people arriving from many other places.

Today, the current sanctuary, which began to be built in the fourteenth century and received several subsequent reforms, is indeed the goal of a multitude of people who come there to demonstrate their fervor, to continue the tradition, to enjoy a enthralling landscape and, also, not to have to return in the next life.

A Garita de Herbeira is the highest of the cliffs formed by the Serra da Capelada where it meets the sea. This area, frequently hit by strong winds, can be reached by climbing from Cariño (and perhaps making a stop halfway along the ascent at the beautiful A Miranda viewpoint, with wide panoramic views over the estuary of Ortigueira); or from the centre of the town of Cedeira. This last option is the one chosen by hikers who take some of the most popular hiking routes in the area, such as Ruta dos Peiraos or Camiño de Santo André.

Because it is here, halfway between Cedeira and Herbeira, where the mythical village of Santo André de Teixido is located. Everyone who is aware of and believes in its tradition knows that it is impossible to avoid visiting this small town nestled between ravines and hanging over the sea: those who haven’t been there while alive, will go once dead, reincarnated as a small animal. In all seriousness now: Santo André de Teixido is one of the most popular spiritual pilgrimage centres in Galicia and also a good place to go, even if you do not have these kinds of concerns. The modest church, the handful of houses that surround it, the descent to the fountain and a wild and idyllic landscape make this area one of the essentials of the Galician north.

The road that connects Cedeira to the Garita de Herbeira is narrow and turns right and left along the cliff, passing by several viewpoints from which you can see, to the left, the imposing masses of Cape Prior and the rugged coast to Valdoviño; and to the right the cliffs and the white houses of Santo André. Along the way one must be careful: cows and horses, free in this part of the Capelada, walk with total freedom in a territory that has been their home for hundreds of years.

One more fact, quite peculiar, about this magical area of ​​Galicia. In the cliffs of Herbeira an amazing phenomenon occurs, known by the locals as “o pe do vento” (the foot of the wind). It is a very thick cloud that appears over the Serra da Capelada on days when the north east wind blows strongly, and sometimes coincide with the sunny days of summer. Thus, it may happen that while Cedeira enjoys a spectacular sunny day, higher up the cloud moves up the cliff covering the sky and lowering temperatures considerably. In these cases, enjoying the scenery is difficult and driving on the road to Santo André can be quite scary, but the air of mystery is certainly hard to match.

To get there, it is necessary to ascend the Capelada mountains, passing by roads as beautiful as hard, but worth the effort. Just the views from above deserve it.

But this curious town has much more…

It is one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Galicia, standing just behind Santiago de Compostela in terms of number of visitors; and is that although its temple dates from century XII, and the preRoman towns worshiped other divinities much earlier.

As the famous popular saying goes, “A San Andrés de Teixido vai de morto o que non foi de vivo” (To Santo André de Teixido goes dead who didn’t go alive), and it is imperative to visit the village at least once in the life.

According to legend, the Apostle San Andrés, sad because no one was pilgrimage to his sanctuary and how everyone was going to visit the tomb of the Apostle Santiago, complained to God. When he saw him so sad, he promised that no one would ever enter the kingdom of heaven without first passing through his temple, and if he did not do it in his life, he would do it dead. And not only that, but would make him reincarnated in frog, snake or lizard.

The origin of the temple itself is also the focus of the legend, since what is said is that San Andrés had overturned in his boat in front of the cliffs of the area becoming a rock, so God decided to grant that sanctuary.

It is not surprising that, with this letter of introduction, the place is full of myths and legends of the most varied. From those who say that there is buried a bone of the same saint to those who claim to have crossed some night with the “Santa Compaña”.

They say that anyone who goes there must drop a stone in one of the many “milladoiros” along the way and get a bouquet of “herba de namororar” before the end of the visit.

But Santo André de Teixido is full of many other traditions, such as that of approaching the source of the Saint and drinking from the three pipes without resting their hands on the fountain. In addition, once this is done, a crumb of bread should be thrown in the water and, if it floats, the desires one asks for come true. Do not worry if you have not brought bread: in the many souvenir shops around the temple you can buy it in figurine form. And here is another myth: these little figures, called “sanandreses”, protect the one who carries them.

The truth is that worshiping the dead is not something new here, because throughout the Sierra de A Capelada there are numerous pre-Roman burials dating back thousands of years, and the Celts already thought that here was the door to the afterlife. However, over time, the mystery and magic have been growing to make Santo André de Teixido one of the most curious places in Galicia.

A final curiosity: they say that in this area, just above where the sanctuary is located, the Milky Way ends, and that is why it is common in the area to call it “Santo André Road”.

Do you dare to come?