Vigo: Churches,hermitages & chapels
Churches of the town of Vigo
Chronicles of local historians and documents preserved in the Diocesan of Tui tell that in the XII century the nucleus of Vigo had two churches: Santa Maria in the center of town and Santiago de Vigo in the suburbs. Today there are neither temples, these have been replaced by new ones as the originals could not with the passage of time and the times of invasions and attacks.
With the passage of time and the continued growth of the population the number of churches was gradually increased. Among the most important are the present church of Santa María Cathedral of Vigo (1816) neoclassical style, the present church of Santiago de Vigo (1896), the church of Mary Help of Christians (1923), Fatima Church ( 1948), the church of Solitude (1957) and the church of Our Lady of Carmen (1951).
Parish churches
In the twelfth century on record up to 15 Romanesque churches in existing parishes of the municipality of Vigo. Of these three only remained Romanesque churches: Bembrive Santiago, Santa Maria and San Salvador Castrelos Coruxo, besides some remains of the other.
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are in a golden age, the result of this period are the churches of San Andrés de Valladares, San Mamede of Zamans, San Pedro de Sárdoma, San Pedro de Matamá, Comesaña San Andres, San Estevo of Beade and Santa Marina Cabral.
In later period we have the churches of Santa Cristina de Washers, San Xurxo of Saians and San Salvador de Teis
With the growth of the population some churches have remained small and has chosen to build new churches alongside the old. This is the case of the new churches of the parishes of Navia and Freixeiro Alcabre.
Chapels and Chapels
The chapels and shrines reflect the religious fervor that exists in our parishes samples still remain significant. These constructions of order less common features such as longitudinal nave plant and small size, covered with wooden shingle gable with native and hardly austere exterior ornamentation.
We must differentiate between two types of chapels, those who were or are part of the manor houses and stately homes and chapels dedicated to the worship of saints with great popular fervor in the area.
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