Ribadavia is a town and municipality located in the southwest of the province of

Ourense Ourense (; ) is a city and the capital of the province of province of Ourense, Ourense, located in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, northwestern Spain. It is on the Camino Sanabrés path o ...

, in the autonomous community of Galicia,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It belongs to the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

of O Ribeiro. The urban area lies on the right bank of the Miño river and the last course of the Avia river. It is the capital of the comarca of the Ribeiro. Near N-120 road and A-52 Rias Baixas highway, it is from the provincial capital and from

Vigo Vigo (, ; ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of province of Pontevedra, Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest ...

. The town was declared a '' Historic-Artistic ensemble'' in 1947. Near the Campo da Feira, one can find the ruins of the castle of the Sarmientos, the Counts of Ribadavia, dating from the fifteenth century. It still preserves the interior, towers and the walls. Parts of the walls that surrounded the town are also still standing. Inside the old quarter (casco vello/Barrio Xudeu), one can visit the main square (Praza Maior) with interesting buildings like the sixteenth-century town hall. There are also buildings remaining from what was once a large

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

quarter, including a

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

. All the economic life of the comarca of the Ribeiro has centered on, since the twelfth century, the vines first brought by the monks of

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in ...

who accompanied the first count of Galicia, Raymond of Burgundy. Today, the

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

is commercialised under the protected designation of origin Ribeiro.

Bibliography

* Leopoldo Meruéndano Arias, ''Los Judíos de Ribadavia y orígen de las cuatro parroquias''. * Samuel Eiján, ''Historia de Ribadavia y sus alrededores''.

References

External links

Ribadavia's City Hall Official Page

{{Authority control Municipalities in the Province of Ourense Religion in Galicia (Spain)