Historic cemeteries

In Cambados, on the slopes of A Pastora hill, is one of the most picturesque and beautiful cemeteries in Galicia, declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1943 and included in the Association of Singular Cemeteries of Europe. It is the cemetery of Santa Mariña Dozo, described by the writer Álvaro Cunqueiro as "the most melancholic in the world". The cemetery houses the ruins of an old temple from the 15th century, an example of the so-called maritime Gothic style. The nave has no roof and the interior can be visited to admire its arches, carved with balls and adorned with sculptures representing biblical scenes. The iconography of the seven deadly sins stands out for its singularity, with curious representations such as that of sloth, which shows a man eating his own faeces.

Around the church are the tombstones of the parish cemetery, where members of the family that owned the pazo of Bazán and the wife and son of Valle-Inclán, who died when the family lived in Cambados, are buried. There are also some tombs scattered around the interior of the church.

Santa Mariña only celebrates one mass a year, on All Souls' Day, and is a regular stop for visitors to Cambados.

Designed by the architect Jenaro de la Fuente, it is the largest and most monumental cemetery in Vigo and is known for the richness and quality of its sculptures. At the entrance we are greeted by a hearse from the 1930s, the so-called Dodge "Carneiro", commissioned in its day by the City Council and in perfect condition.

The pantheons and funerary monuments of Pereiró form an interesting and eclectic artistic ensemble, financed by the wealthy families of the city and, in some cases, paid for by popular initiative. Among the main monuments is the piece dedicated to the jurist and writer Concepción Arenal, an essential work of Galician modernism. It is a monolith signed by the architect Manuel Gómez Román, which was erected by the City Council. Also outstanding is the mausoleum dedicated to the soldiers who died in Vigo after being repatriated from Cuba and the Philippines, which shows the figure of a dying soldier. In this case, the work was commissioned by the Red Cross to the sculptor Julio González Pola, in view of the shock that it meant for the city to receive the men who were wounded and died in the war.

Visitors will also be struck by the expressiveness of one of the most interesting sculptures from an artistic point of view, created by the sculptor Francisco Asorey at the request of the Gil y Sarabia family of Vigo. The work represents the moment when death takes one of his three daughters, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

These are just some of the many points of interest in the cemetery, where great personalities linked to the history of the city are buried, such as the hero of the Reconquest, Cachamuíña; the canning industrialists Alfageme, Massó and Albo; politicians such as José Elduayen Gorriti, the minister who abolished slavery in Spain; or Heraclio Botana, the workers' leader assassinated in 1936.

The cemetery of San Mauro, the largest in the municipality of Pontevedra, is a neoclassical construction, designed at the end of the 19th century by the municipal architect Alejandro Rodríguez-Sesmero, a key figure in the expansion of the city outside the walls.

As the old Eiriña cemetery became too small, the construction of a new cemetery was planned, which was opened to the public in 1882. Since then, the cemetery has undergone several transformations, the most important of which was the extension in the 1960s, which included the transfer of the Romanesque church of San Mamede de Moldes to its interior.

Visitors will also be struck by the expressiveness of one of the most interesting sculptures from an artistic point of view, created by the sculptor Francisco Asorey at the request of the Gil y Sarabia family of Vigo. The work represents the moment when death takes one of his three daughters, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

These are just some of the many points of interest in the cemetery, where great personalities linked to the history of the city are buried, such as the hero of the Reconquest, Cachamuíña; the canning industrialists Alfageme, Massó and Albo; politicians such as José Elduayen Gorriti, the minister who abolished slavery in Spain; or Heraclio Botana, the workers' leader assassinated in 1936.

The English cemetery of Vilagarcía appears in this list not so much for its artistic value, but for its historical interest, as it reflects the mark that the British Navy left in the port of Arousa at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to those visits of the English sailors, the inhabitants of Vilagarcía de Arousa were given the nickname of "Englishmen", a name that is still used by the neighbouring towns of the region. Vilagarcía is also the only English cemetery in the province of Pontevedra; together with Camariñas, they are the only ones in Galicia.

The British Naval Cemetery, as it is officially called, was built in 1911, near the municipal cemetery, to house deceased British sailors who could not be buried in the Catholic cemetery, as they were Protestants. It is a small enclosure that houses a dozen graves and remains closed for most of the year. The last burials took place in the 1970s and corresponded to those of the British Consul in Vigo, Alexander Linsay, and his wife, who preferred to rest in Galicia after their death.

Although the cemetery belongs to the British Navy, Vilagarcía Town Council acts as a link between the British Navy and any possible visitor. The cemetery receives an average of three visits a year from English tourists attracted by the history of British cemeteries. To visit the cemetery it is necessary to contact the municipality and request a visit in advance.

Located in the centre of Redondela, the Os Eidos cemetery was built in the 1930s and has carvings and pantheons of great artistic value, most of them in an eclectic style. The monumental pantheon of Mayor Ramón Pardo Ferro stands out, in which there is a sculpture of the blindfolded faith. Also noteworthy for the strangeness of its symbolism is the mausoleum dedicated to the attorney Francisco Crespo Rivas, a collaborator of the Archaeological Society of Pontevedra, which includes a column crowned with a pyramid and whose design came from Argentina. Another burial of artistic interest is that of the San Román family.

The Os Eidos cemetery also bears witness to historical events. Here lie buried in a mass grave 42 republicans who were repressed during the Civil War, whose memory remains in the form of a tribute plaque. It is also worth mentioning that John O'Dogherty, one of the heroes of the Battle of Ponte Sampaio, which pitted the local army against Napoleon's troops in an attempt to recover Vigo and Pontevedra, was buried in this cemetery.

The Os Eidos cemetery, which is no longer in use today, is municipal property and can be visited freely.

The Arcos de Furcos cemetery has earned the nickname of singular because it is the only underground cemetery in Galicia, at a depth of five metres. Located in a beautiful spot around the church of San Breixo, it was built underground in the 1940s for practical reasons, due to the lack of a suitable plot to extend the old cemetery. In its construction, the villagers of the village participated with great effort, who, in addition to paying for the work, collaborated in the construction work, removing earth and chopping and moving granite from a nearby quarry.

The catacombs of Arcos de Furcos are accessed via a staircase that leads to a network of galleries divided into two levels, with a total of 60 pantheons and 245 niches. The corridors are illuminated by electric lights.

This cemetery in Pontevedra receives more and more visitors, attracted by curiosity. The cemetery is owned by the neighbourhood and is usually open.