Barbudo: Church, Hillfort and Religious Art

Barbudo brings together traces from different periods: an Iron Age hillfort, a parish church dating from the late 18th century and religious artworks offer different ways to explore the history of the place. There are also viewpoints overlooking valleys and a local tale that explains the place name.

Landscape and Local Tradition

Monte Catadoiro, at an elevation of 549 metres, rises above the Oitavén and Verdugo valleys and is a natural viewpoint. Near O Castelo, there are views of the Oitavén Valley and the Eiras Reservoir. The Oitavén is the common reference point in these landscape views; near O Castelo, the reservoir is also part of the outlook. The viewpoints therefore offer different perspectives: at Monte Catadoiro, the focus is on two valleys, while at O Castelo, it is on the Oitavén Valley and the Eiras Reservoir.

The Eiras Reservoir also features in local tradition. According to the tale, a long-bearded giant once lived in Castro Barbudo beside the reservoir. The story explains the name Castro Barbudo. The same landscape setting is thus associated with two different themes: a described view from O Castelo and a legend explaining the name.

Church and Traces of the Iron Age

The parish church of Santa María do Castro Barbudo was built around 1790. This approximate date places it in the late 18th century. By contrast, the Castro de Barbudo hillfort dates to the Iron Age and is an archaeological site from that period. The former settlement stood on three terraces. The church and hillfort therefore represent different historical perspectives: an approximately dated church building on the one hand, and an Iron Age settlement laid out across three terraces on the other.

Depiction of the Cross and Image Shrines

The central cross depiction at the Calvario de la iglesia de Barbudo shows Christ on the front and Our Lady of the Rosary on the reverse. The two sides bring together different religious motifs in a single artwork. The focus here is therefore on the iconography, while the parish church is notable above all for its approximate construction date and the hillfort for its former settlement.

The Peto de ánimas de Barbudo has a three-part structure: it consists of three small image shrines, crowned by three crosses. The central niche contains an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and a group of seven souls carved from polychrome stone. The central imagery thus combines a Marian image with a depiction of souls, while the three shrines and crosses define the overall form.

The creation history also distinguishes the central image shrine from the two side ones: Manuel González created the central section in 1888; Aniceto Justo Rodriguez remodelled the two side shrines in 1988. There is also a sundial on the left side of the Peto de ánimas de Barbudo. Its structure, imagery and dates offer different ways to understand this artwork.

Viewed through the lens of chronology, Barbudo’s history spans from the Iron Age to the parish church, dated to around 1790, and then to the works of 1888 and 1988. Another comparison concerns form: three terraces in the former settlement, a double-sided cross depiction and a Peto made up of three image shrines. These features make it possible to distinguish the archaeological layout from religious art, while understanding both as different aspects of Barbudo’s cultural heritage.

Discover more destinations: Cores, Valga, Monte Bouza, Nigrán, Soutelo, Curantes, As Quintáns, Salceda.

For the broader travel overview: Pontevedra.