O Burgo (''The Burg'') is a neighbourhood in the city of

Pontevedra Pontevedra (, ) is a city in the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of both the ''Pontevedra (comarca), Comarca'' and Province of Pontevedra, and the capital of the Rías Baixas. It is als ...

(

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 is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city and is crossed by the Portuguese Way. On its right-hand side is the A Xunqueira area with important educational and cultural facilities.

Location

O Burgo is a neighbourhood located in the north of the city on the right bank of the

Lérez river The Lérez is a river in South West Galicia, Spain. The river meets the Atlantic Ocean at Pontevedra, where it creates Pontevedra's ria. The sources of the long stream are in Serra do Candán, in the mountain of San Bieito, in the parish of ...

. Its main axis is the A Coruña Avenue and the Juan Bautista Andrade Street, as well as Compostela Avenue to the right, which separates it from the A Xunqueira area. To the south, the district is bounded by Domingo Fontán Street.

History

O Burgo, next to the bridge that bears its name and on the banks of the

Lérez The Lérez is a river in South West Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. The river meets the Atlantic Ocean at Pontevedra, where it creates Pontevedra's ria. The sources of the long stream are in Serra do Candán, in the mountain of San Bieito, in t ...

, has been a strategic point of Pontevedra since the Romans (the Via XIX passed through here), and since the Middle Ages one of the entrances to the city from the north, as well as a crossing point on the Portuguese Way. In the 12th century, the

Burgo bridge The Burgo Bridge ''(Puente del Burgo)'' is a medieval bridge, built over an older bridge of Roman origin, which crosses the Lérez River in the city of Pontevedra, Spain. It is on the route of the Portuguese Way to the north of the old town of P ...

replaced the old Roman bridge, which was in ruins. The Burgo Pequeno was the first of the three suburbs of the city. The formation of this new, though small, settlement meant that the bridge served as a link between the city and the district, which became a sort of urban extension. The neighbourhood developed with the hermitage of San Jacobo or Santiago del Burgo as its centre. Its economy was based on wine-growing, supported by the presence of a mill in the 15th century, and by its proximity to and relationship with the monastery of Saint Saviour of Lérez. In the Middle Ages, O Burgo became an obligatory stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela from Portugal. According to legend, the Apostle James, on his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, felt tired and stopped at O Burgo, where he was cared for and sheltered until he recovered and could continue his journey. In gratitude for the help he received, the saint told the owners of the house where he was resting that the first grapes and corn of each harvest would ripen there every year. At the end of the 18th century, the linear suburb of O Burgo, of medieval origin, began to take on a certain importance. On 16 December 1811, Xoan Manuel Pintos, a writer and lexicographer and one of the authors of the Galician

Rexurdimento The ''Rexurdimento'' ( Galician for Resurgence) was a period in the History of Galicia during the 19th century. Its central feature was the revitalization of the Galician language as a vehicle of social and cultural expression after the so-calle ...

, was born in O Burgo. In 1898, the neighbourhood grew with the construction of a road between O Burgo and A Caeira. The O Burgo sports ground was inaugurated on 16 October 1919 with a football match between Pontevedra Athletic and Real Coruña. The ground became the city's multi-sport venue par excellence. In 1949 the road known as ''Camino de Santiago'' or ''Camino del Burgo'' was called ''Avenida de La Coruña''. In 1960, the City Council bought the stadium, which became the current Pasarón Stadium. On 13 July 1968, the

Pontevedra Municipal Sports Hall The Pontevedra Municipal Sports Hall ''(Pabellón Municipal de los Deportes)'' is an arena in Pontevedra, Spain. It is primarily used for team handball and is the home arena of SD Teucro & Club Cisne Balonmano. The arena holds 4,000 people. It i ...

was inaugurated in the area. On 10 September 1983, the Santiago Bridge was inaugurated to relieve congestion on the

Burgo Bridge The Burgo Bridge ''(Puente del Burgo)'' is a medieval bridge, built over an older bridge of Roman origin, which crosses the Lérez River in the city of Pontevedra, Spain. It is on the route of the Portuguese Way to the north of the old town of P ...

and provide new access to the city centre. In September 1986, the old Burg chapel was demolished and in April 1987, the construction of a new chapel that integrated the façade of the old building began. On 3 July 1987, the four-lane Compostela avenue was inaugurated, providing a new exit to the city from the north towards Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña. In 1993, land north of A Xunqueira was developed for the

Pontevedra campus The Pontevedra campus is one of three campuses that host the University of Vigo. It is located in the Spanish city of Pontevedra and offers Undergraduate education, undergraduate, Postgraduate education, postgraduate and doctorate, doctoral stud ...

. On 26 May 1995, a new bridge was inaugurated to connect this part of the city to the left bank of the river, the Tirantes Bridge. In 1996, the parish of Santiago del Burgo was created in the district. The summer of 2020 saw the inauguration of the pedestrianisation of the

, which improved the neighbourhood's connection with the city centre.

Urban planning

O Burgo is the Pontevedrian district located on the right bank of the Lérez river. It is organised longitudinally from the

, along A Coruña Avenue and Juan Bautista Andrade Street. Domingo Fontán Street runs along the banks of the

and the Portuguese Way runs along Santiña Street. To the east, Compostela Avenue separates the O Burgo neighbourhood from the A Xunqueira area, which is linked to the Tirantes Bridge by Alexandre Bóveda Street. Opposite the Pasarón stadium is the Pasarón Park and to the west the Marismas de Alba Natural Park. At the back of the

there is a petanque court. In the A Xunqueira area, there is the Rosalía de Castro Park and the Island of Sculptures Park, one of the largest in the city. At number 20, Coruña Avenue, is the Sanz Díaz House, an Art Nouveau building by the architect Antonio López Hernández.

Facilities

Sports and leisure

O Burgo has the most important sports facilities in the city: * Pasarón Stadium: inaugurated in 1965, it was completely renovated in 2006. * The

: inaugurated in 1968, it was designed by the architect Alejandro de la Sota. * In the A Xunqueira area, there are several football pitches (one of which is artificial turf), and a multipurpose sports pavilion.

Schools

The A Xunqueira area has important educational infrastructures and it is here that most of the city's educational offer is concentrated. In this sector are located: * two schools: A Xunqueira 1 and A Xunqueira 2. * two secondary schools: A Xunqueira 1 and A Xunqueira 2. * an integrated vocational training centre. * the city's Official School of Languages. * the Teacher Training Centre of the

Xunta de Galicia The Xunta de Galicia (; "Regional Government of Galicia") is the collective decision-making body of the government of the autonomous community of Galicia, composed of the President, the Vice-president(s) and the specialized ministers (''Consel ...

. * the A Xunqueira campus, with 4 faculties, 1 engineering school and a crèche of the

Other facilities

To the west, next to the Marismas de Alba natural park, is the examination room of the Provincial Road Department, in Martín Códax Street. O Burgo also has a

community centre A community centre, community center, or community hall is a public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a sp ...

for the residents of the neighbourhood. There is a parish church in the neighbourhood: Saint-James Pilgrim of the Burg. In A Xunqueira area there are important cultural facilities: the Pontevedra Congress Centre and the Pontevedra Exhibition Centre.

Festivities and cultural events

The neighbourhood festivities take place every year around 25 July, as well as the traditional offering of grapes and corn to the Apostle James.

Gallery

File:Pontevedra Capital Puente de las Corrientes, puerto deportivo y barrio del Burgo.jpg, O Burgo, the Currents Bridge and the Pontevedra marina File:Casa Sanz Díaz modernista en Pontevedra capital.jpg, Art Nouveau Sanz Díaz House File:Parque de Pasarón - Pontevedra capital.jpg, Pasarón Park File:Parque de Pasarón en Pontevedra capital.jpg, Pasarón Park File:Avenida de la Coruña y Estadio de Pasarón - Pontevedra capital.jpg, A Coruña Avenue and Pasarón Stadium File:Parada autobús urbano línea 1 Pontevedra capital.jpg, Bus stop of the line 1 of the city buses File:Pontevedra, Diosiño (Ponte do Burgo) 01-02b.jpg, Diosiño bust File:Rúa Valentín Paz Andrade, Pontevedra.jpg, Valentín Paz Andrade Street File:Placa Santiña.jpg, Santiña street sign File:Burgo.jpg, St James Pilgrim of the Burg Church File:Pontevedra - O Burgo - Estadio Municipal de Pasarón 4.jpg, Pasarón Stadium File:Puente peatonal del Burgo - Pontevedra capital.jpg,

and the homonymous district in the background File:Puente del Burgo peatonalizado - Pontevedra capital.jpg, Burgo bridge pedestrianised File:Enrique Campo, A Santiña, Pontevedra (1908).jpg, A Santiña Street in 1908, by Enrique Campo File:Campo de petanca en O Burgo - Pontevedra capital.jpg, Pétanque court

Location

History

Urban planning

Facilities

Sports and leisure

Schools

Other facilities

Festivities and cultural events

Gallery

References

See also

Bibliography

Related articles

External links