Civil Architecture

Past and future converge on Lalín. Medieval bridges of stone like " Ponte Taboada " or Ponte dos Cabalos" coexist with the modern glass architecture of “Castro Tecnolóxico”. The first astronomic observatory of Galicia is also considered in the scientific vanguard . It was constructed by Don Ramon M ª Aller in 1924, and, nowadays, there are guided visits and activities of sky observation.

As example of industrial architecture, the building of Rodís's paper mill, founded around year 1850 that nowadays is a private housing.

In Lalín Municipality there are 30 Mainhouses, constructions most typical of the Galician nobility. Some of them, without its inhabitants, stand the test of time with difficulty, looking to “Pazo de Liñares” that rised like the phoenix and shows all its magnificence to visitors. Others preserve its function of housing, or they turned into rural establishments that receive its privileged guests.

To enjoy popular architecture, it is enought just to walk along rural areas and to admire functional constructions as mills of water, barns, washers or stone structures. All of them create the soul of our landscape.

Taboada Bridge (XIX Century)

Built between 1861 and 1863, it replaced the old 10th century bridge that crosses the river Deza upstream - and which continues to be used by hikers and pilgrims who follow the Vía da Prata on their way to Santiago. At that time it was known as the "New Taboada Bridge" and was more suited to carriage traffic, in particular because the old royal road and the bridge had a firm structure composed of irregular stones that made their circulation difficult and slow.

It is made of masonry stone and formed by four equal arches. Its length is about 70 m and it has a height of about 40, which makes it an exceptional lookout over the Deza river. From it we can see the modern bridge of the N-525 road (built in 1973), the railway viaduct from the mid-50s of the last century, and the Taboada train station. The surroundings of the river, with its riverside vegetation, give this bridge a special charm due to the landscape that can be seen from it.

 

The Vía da Prata takes us from the new bridge to the old bridge along a beautiful path, and it is worthwhile for pilgrims and walkers to look back and stop to contemplate the imposing silhouette of this 19th century bridge.

Coordinates
42.6814167, -008.2065556
Imagen Taboada Bridge (XIX Century)