| ( In Xunqueiras, Sta. María do Xobre. C-550 , 1 Km. far from Palmeira ) Declared Historical-Artistic Monument of National Interest. In the 13th century, Fernán Martín of Xunqueiras inaugurated the lineage that wielded the dominion and jurisdiction over a vast entailed estate. His history, sometimes touched with rush connotations but always brave, is that of a real gentleman who fought on behalf of Enrique IV, the Catholic Kings, the emperor Carlos V and his son Felipe II, Juan of Austria, the Duke of Lerma… In 1679, the king Carlos II appointed José Bolaño Ribadeneira y Mariñas, as viscount of Xunqueiras. The later family links would relate the house with the family of marquis Camarasa, earldom of Amarante, viscount of Oca, the dominion of Torés, Guitiriz, Baamonde, who were transferred by its owner to favour the politic Eduardo Gasset. Nowadays the noble title belongs to the Duchess of Medinaceli. The building has a rectangular ground floor with masonry walls and we can notice the different constructive stages that go from the 15th to the 18th century. Its origin goes back to a fortress that was razed by the fury of the Irmandiñas Revolt in 1467. The tower is the only preserved remainder from feudal times. The arrogant tower has a remarkable defending slope and narrow loopholes. At the highest point, its corners hold four sentry boxes from which we have a splendid view of the surrounding landscape. The interior patio, which evokes the conventual, functions as the centre or axis of the rest of the spaces close to the tower. It has a square ground floor flanked by three semicircular arches starting in columns. The finishing date was approximately 1610. Before this date, it was built the beautiful renaissance front of the main façade (right in the opposite angle to the tower). The front’s constructions date is around 1570. The elevation of the east side façade is specially flexible. Originally built following a military structure, it was lately adapted to a palace structure. It has a beautiful classical front, built in 1605, franked by two defensive promenades and a circular tower with loopholes designed to hold weapons. The baroque reforms were responsible for the balconies placed over stones; then, the balconies function as gallant terrace-viewpoints. Twelve coat of arms adorn the stately home’s walls: the coat of arms of the Xunqueiras, Soutomaior, Mariñas, Zúñiga, Bolaño, Ribadeneira, Gayoso, figueroa, Montenegro… Parish: O Xobre/O Maño Place: Xunqueiras Style: Renaissance Century: 15th-18th | |