In 1156 the old town of Villa Maior,
which had been the capital of the diocese since 1117, was awarded city
status by Alfonso VII. The choice was well-planned, as the town lay in a
fertile valley and had easy access to the sea. From the sixteenth
century to 1834, it was the capital of one of the seven provinces which
formed the Kingdom of Galicia. The oldest and most important building is
the cathedral. Work on it began in 1219 and it was consecrated in 1248
by Bishop Don Martín.
The peaceful streets and
squares of Mondoņedo are dotted with old buildings, convents and
churches. The Fonte Vella dates from the sixteenth century, but the
majority of buildings date from the eighteenth century: the Santuario de
los Remedios, the Town Hall, the Santa Catalina Royal Seminary with its
subsequent additions, etc.
Nearby, on top of one of the mountains that surround the town, stands
the Convento dos Picos, founded at the end of the fourteenth century,
but whose current buildings date back to the eighteenth century. There
are some magnificent views to be enjoyed from here, and from many of the
roads which lead to Mondoņedo. By the side of one of these roads is the
cemetery where the outstanding Alvaro Cunqueiro lies, a writer who
dedicated several works to his home town, in which he refers to the San
Lucas fiestas held there.
