A very lively story
Contrary to what it seems, Vilanova de Arousa has a lot of life behind it. The oldest remains found in the municipal district date back to the Palaeolithic. There are also remains from the culture of the “castros” (fortified Iron-Age settlements) and the Roman occupation, such as coins found in Tremoedo and the Roman bridge of Ponte Arnelas.
Golden Age in the Kingdom of Galicia
Its golden age is centred on the 6th century, being crucial for the ancient kingdom of Galicia and the spread of Christianity in these lands. From that time there are remains such as the Cálago Tower, which was part of the old Monastery of San Cipriano de Cálago founded in the 9th century by St. Fructuosus.
The interior part of the municipal district was the location of the Lobeira Castle (now converted into a viewpoint), which formed part of the defence of Compostela –the place where the Apostle James’ tomb is located– against the Norman invasions. The defence of this region was essential due to its great economic importance based on sea produce and for the production of salt in the salt flats (hence the name of the region, “Val do Salnés,” in which Vilanova is located).
Christian expansion in the territory
Later on in the Middle Ages, the importance of Christianity grew in the 12th century with the construction of the churches of Baion, Santa María de Caleiro, with its hamlet, and part of Deiro. The passing of the centuries would dot the region of Vilanova de Arousa with more churches and chapels.
More than five centuries of fishing heritage
The importance of Vilanova as a fishing port can be seen in the 16th century, when the town supplied fish to the whole of Castile, with its pickled oysters being the delicacy desired by the court. As early as in the 18th century, with the expansion of the salting and fishing industry, the first factories were established in the region. Since then, this sector became the basis of the local economy, with its legacy surviving down to the present day.
A land of towers and pazos
The wealth generated in Vilanova also led to it becoming a land of towers and pazos (Galician ancestral homes) in the baroque period. Among them, the Pazos of Fontán and Cabido (in Baión); the one in Rúa Nova (in András), or, in the municipal capital, Pazo del Cuadrante –Valle-Inclán’s birthplace.
Vilanova de Arousa, a sea of life
Today, Vilanova de Arousa is a municipal district closely linked to the sea, but it does not neglect trades linked to the land, such as viticulture. Its capital has all the necessary services for a quiet life at the foot of the estuary, without giving up the comforts of modern life. A place to live, enjoy, shop, walk, sail, learn, and relax.
