The museum of the castle of Soutomaior
The castle of Soutomaior is embarking on a new stage as a heritage, cultural and tourist landmark in the province of Pontevedra after ten centuries of dominating the territory at the bottom of the Vigo estuary. The imposing fortress now has an ambitious museum space that shows in an entertaining and didactic way, with the use of audiovisuals and other cutting-edge media, information about its history, the illustrious people who lived there, its importance in Galicia and its integration in the beautiful landscape.
The exhibition project focuses on ten axes: the presence of the fortress in the environment since its origin; the value of the location for the control of the territory; the destruction by the Irmandiños; the role of a legendary figure such as Pedro Madruga; the fortress as a centre of power; the hypothesis of the Galician origin of Christopher Columbus; the lineage of the Sotomayors; the transformation of the castle into a residential palace; the fascinating figure of the writer and defender of women María Vinyals; and the architectural reforms carried out throughout the life of the castle.
The exhibition uses avant-garde techniques, with seven audiovisuals, 3D recreations, a videomapping and several magic boxes.
The tour, which begins once the drawbridge has been crossed and lasts an estimated 45 minutes, will be carried out using the most avant-garde museum techniques, with seven audiovisuals, 3D recreations, videomapping and magic boxes. In addition, the visit will alternate with didactic content to test the ingenuity, mainly of the youngest children.
The magic boxes are one of the great attractions of this entertaining and entertaining itinerary through the fortress. Through a play of lights and mirrors they bring the spectator closer to the way of life of some of the characters linked to the history of the castle.
The videomapping, one of the most surprising resources of the whole exhibition, is located in the keep, and tells the story of Pedro Álvarez de Sotomayor, known as Pedro Madruga, the legendary nobleman linked to the fortress, about whom there is also a theory that he could be the real Christopher Columbus. One of the rooms provides clues about the possible link between the navigator and the Sotomayor lineage.
Audiovisuals, high-resolution photographs, both current and historical, facsimiles of historical documents, chronological milestones, a model on which different elements of the natural and cultural landscape are projected from above, and three models of different historical moments in the castle, will take us on a sensory journey through different periods from almost a thousand years ago.
