Vicedo

In the middle Age the parishes which recently compose the municipality of O Vicedo belonged to differents feudal lords. So, its possessions were called jurisdictions which were divided of the following way:

After public appearance of Constitution ( 1812 ) were established the first councils. During a time, O Vicedo was divided into three councils: Negradas, Val and Cabanas, which aren’t exactly the same ones recently.
The next municipality partition was published in R.D. in 1835, so that, at this time the municipality was divided into the following councils: Galdo ( O Vicedo, Negradas and Valle) and Viveiro ( Suegos, Mosende, Riobarba and Cabanas). This partition only perdured five years and appeared already Riobarba’s council reflected at Province Oficial journal of Lugo with the currently parishes of O Vicedo in October the 18th of 1840.
During the following years it remained steadily being Riobarba the Capital of municipality which was bearing the same name. Later, the Capital and municipality’s name changed to be called “ O Vicedo”in July the 14th of 1952.
Afterwards it was called with the same name so the parish as the council and both were named ( San Estebán del Valle) . The place-name “ O Vicedo” come from a latin word “Vicia”. It means an annual herb with climbing blade which belong to”papilonáceas” family and is typical plant of the coast’s places in whole Europe.
In 1985 it is approved the heraldic shield and the municipal banner of the council that would be organized in the following way:
-Cutted shield-1º, in blue, a silver lighthouse, supported on silver and blue waves; 2º, in silver, a boar supported above mounts and on their right an oak of the same color. The mark of honour is a shut real crown.
-Banner: The sixth vertical stripe is painted.with blue and white. The handle finished on the top with a real crown.

There is a historical preseverance that in this village numerous convents and monasteries existed. The most importants are found in the islands “Coelleira” and “San Martín”.

We show a boar placed in the church of San Pablo of Riobarba, which is representing to the Andrade and some of the municipals banners

In the small island located at the entrance of the estuary there was the monastery of “San Miguel de la Coelleira” in the past. Their monks were moved to the chapel of the village of Viveiro to say mass by leather boats. This chapel has served after like first church to the Franciscan priest. According to the Mr. Amor Meilán, this monastery could be found at the beginning of the century V by the Bishop Consencio but other historians think that it could be found in the reign of Leovigildo during the vile persecution against the Christians. Several monks of “San Claudio” from León could survive this way and they erected religious’ home in different islands of Galician territory.

In the XI century documents are found about a donation that “Vimara Menéndez” made to San Miguel’s monastery in 1095, in which donated the third part of the church “ San Julián de Loiva”, having as intermediary the bishop Gonzalo. For this time the monastery didn’t have monumental character and it lacked all sumptuosity.
After many events this monastery changed to be gentlemen’s temper, military and religious order, found at the beginning of the XII century by Hugo of Payens. The main aim was to take care of the security into the roads and to defend the pilgrims in Souto’s places against the hijackers sarracenos or Arabs. The reason which led the templarios to live inside the Monastery of San Miguel of the Coelleira it might be the cruel persecution at which they were being submitted by the French King, Felipe the Beautiful one.

The reason of theirs disappearance of the monastery is also ignored. Later years, García Dóriga tell that one night it was heard to play the bells of this monastery simultaneously. Several executioners without bowels began to kill the monks who suffered the fought with value and resignation. There is a legend which tell us that one of the monks survived at this fought. This monk dressed of compatriot was hided into a house of O Vicedo in Baltar ( located beside the beach of Xilloi). Nowaday the house is known like Compatriot’s house“Casa do Paisano”. It is also said that these religious men carried a picture from San Esteban’s church to the San Roman’s church. So, when was created San Esteban’s parish ( O Vicedo recently), due to the great adoration that people gave to this saint, they named him their pattern. Another version says that a night of strong storm the saint appeared at the beach of Xilloi. People placed it on a carriage of oxen and was led until San Esteban’s church. According to García Dóriga, later years, in the banks of the poetic Landro, a nobleman belonging to the illustrious family “ Bernaldo de Quirós”, owner of all those lands had ordered to kill the monks of the mentioned island. Then, to discharge the conscience by the crime he ordered to anyone to write this clause in his testament:
“ I leave thirty-six masses for well of the soul thirty-six monks that the king Felipe the Beautiful one has ordered to kill in the island of “Coelleira”.

In 1489 the bishop Fabrique of Guzmán joined this monastery with this one called “San Martín” of Mondoñedo. A certificate of the council of Mondoñedo in the XVI century describe the name “Coelleira” like an island in which there was a lot of rabbits.

Later, the island was given in rent for several persons. So, in 1551 “Gómez Dourado” canon of Mondoñedo and administrator of San Miguel gave in rent the half Coelleira’s island through writing to Alonso Cordido ( tradesman in the village). The half of the island included places, inheritances, fruits and rents.

Later in may the 28th of 1629, Dr. “ Diego Saavedra Osorio”, belonging to the cathedral of Mondoñedo called “Santa Iglesia” gave in forum the island “Coelleira” and other goods located at this congregation to“Tomás López” neighbour of “San Esteban del Valle”. This donation was kept for the life of three kings belonging to the crown of Castille. It had an annual value over 6 reals.
In June the 19th of 1652, Antonio Franco, canon of Mondoñedo, gave in rent the fifth part of the production and tithes (the taxes) of the Coelleira’s island were given to “Juan Meitín”, fisherman and neighbour of Viveiro.

In June 1753, Manuel Vázquez, notary of Viveiro, is the person who rents the same island for four years. The quantity is one hundred and ten thousand “maravedís” ( coin which used the arabs).
The last century on this island there was a lighthouse which was settled down in the highest part of the island on a lightly conical tower located at the center of the northern facade of lighhouse-keeper’s home and it was useful to point out the estuary. It was a catadióptico, with green fixed light, but in 1926 the lighthouse had a light “Aga” with each geometric achievement over 19 milles.

HISTORY ABOUT SAN MARTÍN’S ISLAND

There was also another convent in San Martín’s island, located at the Sor estuary. Anyway López Ferreiro believes that this area served to refuge to the Christian before the advance of the sarracenos (arabs). Here, too many religious communities were being settled down and kept a wide and close relationship until they were absorbed in the s. XII by other bigger ones.
The femenine Benedictine monastery of San Martin’s island was extinguished in the s.XV when was going to be integrated with other called “San Paio of Antealtares” belonging to the Benedictine Order of Santiago of Compostela. At the time of the incorporation was vacancy their presidence because had been privated by the prioress “Dña Mº Vizosa” being the last person in charge of this Order. This is the last historical reference documented about the convent of the island.

ECONOMY

Historically O Vicedo has been fishing port and agricultural center with important bovine, porcine, mule and sheep cattle. Usually the wooden trees are: the marine pine, birches bordering their rivers, oaks and chestnut trees; interchangeable at the moment in great measure by the eucaliptus. The agricultural production consisted mainly about the cultivation of cereals, potatoes, vegetables and leguminous. The wine crop and the obtaining of wine was another of the industries that were practiced from inmemorial time. But it was in the XIII century when this crop reached great prosperity. It was such their importance that was frequent to see through the writings of sales or rents information about the wages or vineyards.Everyone that appear picked up at the book “Geography of Galician”. In 1634 the convent of Lorenzana sold lands from Suegos to “Don Alonso Cora y Montenegro”(councilman in Viveiro) and to his brother Bartolomé over 8.800 maravedíes. The price included the civil and criminal jurisdiction, 10 wages of vineyards and a row of houses “da Torre”. There are also information about the production of wine and the main producers. So, “D. Antonio de Cora y Montenegro”, neighbour of Suegos is one of the main producers of the district in 1701. In the year 1738 were gathered in Suegos 177 enrapture of wine and the crop of 1818 was the following one: the congregation of Suegos, 80 enrapture, in San Esteban del Valle, 95, in San Román, 30 and in Negradas, 210, not having quantities exactly in Cabanas, Mosende and Riobarba. By the middle of the XIX century the vineyards were attacked by the illness of the oidium that was presented in 1852, and quickly it finished withering the plants and died. Two years later wasn’t picked up a single barrel of wine in whole district and then they began to gather the vineyards.

There are references about the existence of differents mines extended by the whole municipality. There were iron mines in the parishes of Negradas and Suegos. The kaolin was also plentiful.
It is known that from the Carthusian mines, Seville and others, this product was sent to Seville at big departures. This demostrate its good quality and the profits that its explotation supposed. Also, the factories were very important. So, canned fish factory and salt-fish business were the main industry. There were at least 8 factories, some of them are still conserved in good conditions next to the area of the harbour. They can be recognized easily observing its shapes and its big dimensions, as well as finding the existence of interior porchs. There, people worked the whole process of cutting, drying and salting.

Ancient house of salted fish

Other important activities were woodworking and all things refered to the construction and repairing of ships. At the moment, the main economic sectors are fishing, gatherer shellfish and tourism. Even as tourist development of the municipality is being increased more and more get to take importance the sector of the construction, linked mainly with the construction of apartments.
Reminding the agriculture and cattle, progressively they are losing importance. So only there are small explotations dedicated to self-consumption family mainly at the interior area.

HISTORY OF COELLEIRA’S ISLAND

HISTORY ABOUT SAN MARTÍN’S ISLAND

ECONOMY