Negreira developed as a market town serving the Val de Barcala, an agricultural district west of Santiago. A document from 1717 records the establishment of a fair beside the chapel of San Amaro, near the Pazo do Cotón.
Emigration shaped the region during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1907, emigrants from Barcala living in Havana founded the Unión Barcalesa, which financed schools in their home region.
What to see in Negreira
Pazo do Cotón
The Pazo do Cotón has medieval origins but was substantially remodelled from the 17th century onwards. Its high stone walls and battlements give the complex a fortified appearance. Its most striking feature is a stone gallery spanning the old Camiño Real on three arches, beneath which pilgrims pass. The gallery connects the former noble residence to the adjacent Capela de San Mauro, built in the 18th century.
Monumento ao emigrante
Created in 1997 by Fernando García Branco, this stone-and-bronze sculpture commemorates the many people who emigrated from the Val de Barcala. A man walks away carrying a small bag, as his young son reaches through an opening in a stone wall to clutch his trousers. On the other side, a mother comforts a younger child, beneath a globe representing the world beyond their home.
Where to stay in Negreira
Albergue Cotón
Albergue Alecrín
Albergue San José
Albergue El Carmen
