- The subdelegate visits two unique examples of this traditional architecture after the recognition promoted by the Ministry of Culture
- The declaration defines the hórreo as symbolic expressions of the territories that maintain them and aims to ensure their transmission to the new generations.
- López highlighted the government’s commitment to the protection of this popular heritage “from the point of view of the roots and the people and communities that keep them alive”
The Deputy Delegate of the Government in Lugo, Olimpia López, made an institutional visit this Friday to the two most emblematic hórreo of Navia de Suarna, within the framework of the recent agreement of the Council of Ministers, which declares the hórreo of the north of the Iberian Peninsula as a Representative Manifestation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. This decision, promoted by the Ministry of Culture, is a decisive step in the protection and valorisation of one of the most characteristic expressions of traditional Galician culture, recognizing not only its architectural value, but also its symbolic and identity meaning. The subdelegate gathered the statements of the Ministry of Culture to reaffirm that, in Galicia and Lugo, the Hórreo constitute “a living link between past and present” and a key element in the cohesion of the communities.
In this context, Olimpia López stressed that “this province is not understood without its hórreo, which are part of our landscape and our collective memory, a way of living and understanding the world.” The subdelegate, a native of Navia de Suarna, added that this visit “also has a special meaning, because it means returning to the roots and putting value on the heritage that defines us as a people”.
In this regard, he stressed that the declaration approved by the Government “comes to protect everyone who represents these constructions, such as traditional knowledge or the ways of life that are preserved over the years.” During the day, the deputy delegate was accompanied by the mayor of the town hall, José Fernández, visiting two outstanding examples of this constructive typology, representative of the ethnographic richness of the Ancares region.
Hórreo of the Test
This hórreo is a unique example of the traditional architecture of the Ancares area, where Galician, Asturian and Leonese influences converge. With an age of more than 200 years, it combines stone and wood in an elevated structure on four pillars that place it more than five meters above the Navia River. Located next to a medieval bridge, it was restored by the Deputation of Lugo in 2014 and currently houses the Interpretation Center of the Biosphere Reserve of the Ancares. Its original function was the conservation of crops, protecting them from moisture and animals.
Hórreo de la Casa de Quiñones
Located in the parish of Barcia, this privately owned hórreo represents the essence of popular architecture and ethnographic heritage in the area. Currently, it was rehabilitated as a hosting space, combining conservation and new uses. This example demonstrates the adaptability of this type of construction, keeping its cultural value alive and integrating it into the contemporary dynamics of the territory.