Discovering Galicia through Rosalía de Castro

Today Galicia commemorates the figure of Rosalía de Castro. It is the 185th anniversary of the birth of the author of Cantares Gallegos and, for the first time since Rosalía's Day began to be celebrated, it takes place on February 23rd. And we, how could it be otherwise, give you ideas for you to visit our lands following in the footsteps of the poet!

Today Galicia commemorates the figure of Rosalía de Castro. It is the 185th anniversary of the birth of the author of Cantares Gallegos and, for the first time since Rosalía's Day began to be celebrated, it takes place on February 23rd. And we, how could it be otherwise, give you ideas for you to visit our lands following in the footsteps of the poet!

The Rosalian Route

The Rosalian Route is a journey through the emotions of the writer. Through it, you can visit the most important places in the life and work of Rosalía de Castro.

The route was promoted by Avelino Abuín, a writer who wrote some of her most outstanding anthologies, in the 80s. The path goes from Compostela to Padrón and ends, again, in the Galician capital. Let's do a little review!

From Compostela to Bastavales

The path begins in the Plaza de Vigo, at the foot of the monument that the City Council of Santiago dedicated to her in 1982. Rosalía was born in Compostela in 1837, in a house in Camiño Novo, the current Avenida de Rosalía de Castro.
From this point, the itinerary starts in two directions. The first, towards Conxo, passing through places like Cornes. The second, which would also be the last destination of the route, heads towards the Pantheon of Galicia, in San Domingos de Bonaval, where her remains have rested since 1891. Also, in this same direction, we will find the statue in his honor in the Alameda Park.

The next stop is the church of San Xoán de Ortoño, in the municipality of Ames, birthplace of Rosalía's father, José Martínez Viojo, priest of the Collegiate Church of Iria, and where it is believed that she herself may have spent part of her childhood. Likewise, in 1923, the Seminary of Galician Studies was founded in her father's house.
In Bastavales, Brión, are the famous bells to which she sings in Cantares Gallegos. The temple was begun to be built in 1585 and finished in 1772 and the bells were installed in 1828.

Terras de Iria

The house where the writer spent the last years of her life, in Padrón, is currently the House Museum of Rosalía de Castro, as well as being one of the points of the Camellia Route of Galicia. Next to it, the Centro de Estudos Rosalianos was built.

Also in the area are the Church of Santa María la Mayor de Iria Flavia and its cemetery, where she was buried from 1885 to 1891; the Pazo de Arretén, belonging to the poet's ancestors; the statue of Rosalía on the Paseo del Espolón and the house where she grew up, together with her brothers, at number 4 of Rúa de Xoán Rodríguez.

Why was the date of Rosalía's Day changed?

Rosalía Day has become one of the most popular dates in the Galician calendar. However, until now it had been celebrated on February 24. This change is motivated by the investigation of the philologist Sagrario Abelleira in which she gathered documentation that proves that the writer of Follas Novas was born on the previous day.

Thus, the Xunta de Galicia, together with cultural and educational entities such as the Rosalía de Castro Foundation, the Association of Writers in Galician Language (AELG), the Galician Socio-Pedagogical Association (AS-PG), the Association of Gaiteiros, as well as the Diputación de A Coruña and the city councils of Padrón and Santiago, have agreed to bring forward the day of the ephemeris.

The most popular celebrations

Although the central theme of the festival is the literary work of Rosalía de Castro, the Rosalía de Castro Foundation is promoting a somewhat different event. Inspired by the poem "Miña casiña, meu lar", in which the poet explains how to make a humble broth, more than two hundred places all over Galicia prepare the traditional dish known as "Caldo de Gloria".

If you are interested in knowing more about the Rosalian Route, click here to find out all the information.