Silleda and Surroundings

For Galicians, the town Silleda likely brings to mind two things: the oposicións-- the various exams taken en masse to obtain a government job-- or the annual mega-fair of farm products and more. This fall I went for the first reason, accompanying a test taker. When I was there, I was impressed by the facilities used for both the exams and the fair. In my opinion, it seemed more like a City of Culture than the modern buildings built at the beginning of this century on the outskirts of Santiago de Compostela and dubbed the Cidade de Cultura. The facilities in Silleda are unexpectedly massive. It makes sense though, since sometimes over a thousand people take a test at once. Aside from the huge buildings and lots of steps, there is green space crisscrossed by sidewalks with columns that are so reminiscent of a typical American college campus. I would be interested to see the place during the annual fair, brimming with all kinds of vendors and products. 

Since the exam takes up to three hours, I had plenty of time to not just go back to sleep, but also to do some exploring on my own. And now that I can drive, I wasn't limited Silleda's small town center. A 10-minute drive away is a Medieval monastery nestled in the hillside. The grand Mosteiro de Carboeiro seemed fit for Brother Cadfael. I later learned it was more likely fit for the criminals he caught, as it was later turned into a sort of monk prison. Not a prison with shackles and cells as we might imagine, but merely being isolated in the middle of nowhere was considered punishment enough for ¨bad monks.¨ It was definitely a downgrade from the luxurious life in big city monasteries such as Compostela. 

The monastery and church were eventually abandoned. While the reason was monetary, a legend cropped up related to the Ponte do Demo (the devil's bridge), a Medieval bridge crossing the river just below the monastery. The legend says that while building the monastery, the monks were sick of hardships so they made a deal with the devil. He would build them the monastery in a matter of days in exchange for all the souls that died on that Sunday. After his work was done, instead of the promised souls, the abbot went after the devil with his secret weapon, the Book of Psalms. The devil was infuriated and ashamed, but there was nothing he could do. Until, centuries later, when the Book of Psalms was moved to Toledo. The devil finally had his revenge and was able to destroy the monastery. 

Fainted Romanesque paintings

This legend explains the church's recent ruined state, but by now it is in good shape, after being restored at the beginning of this century. Such good shape that a wedding was going to be held there the day I visited. The church's roof had to be replaced, which I hadn't even realized until I saw historic photos with it missing. Inside the church there were a few Romanesque paintings still visible on the walls. You could also go down to the crypt, or up to the tower to enjoy the view. In the monastery next door, there is a small collection of historical photos of the monastery and church. Then you can ramble down to the devil's bridge where a hiking route starts. It wasn't in the cards for me, however. The short visit was the perfect length to occupy the test-taking period.