Terras de Celanova e Serra do Xurés

HERMITAGE OF SAN BENITO DE COVA DO LOBO

HERMITAGE OF SAN BENITO DE COVA DO LOBO

A centuries-old rural chapel in Galicia, it stands out for festivities such as the Pilgrimage of San Bieito. Its 20th century architecture reflects medieval...
One of the oldest rural hermitages in Galicia. It is the site of the San Bieito pilgrimage on 11 July, although the so-called San Benito del Inverno is held on 21 March. The hermitage is as important as the enormous granite rocks in the vicinity, such as O Tangaraño, which the village venerates due to the belief in their curative powers. The current building dates from the 20th century, but the tradition of the chapel dates back to the Middle Ages. It has a portico on the main façade, above it a balcony terrace which is accessed through a door from the inside, and under this roof is the linteled entrance door, with two rectangular openings on the sides. The ground plan is rectangular, and the chancel is higher than the rest, the roof is hipped and the ends have pinnacles at the four corners. At the back of the presbytery is the sacristy with a rectangular floor plan, which juts out on the north side, with a gabled roof and several openings in the walls as well as an entrance door from the outside. The chapel occupies a privileged position from which the valley can be seen.