[Shrine of Virgen de La Barca] [Parish church of Santa Maria] [Monastery of Moraime] [Church of San Xiao de Moraime] [Monastery of Santa Maria de Ozon] [Church of San Martiño de Ozon] [Church of Santa Maria de Morquintian] [Church of San Cristovo de Nemiña] [Church of Santa Leocadia de Frixe] [Other Churches of interest]

SHRINE OF VIRGEN DE LA BARCA

HISTORY OF THE SHRINE

Although the first written evidence which is kept related to this shrine dates from 1544, the Christianization of this place as well as the founding of the first chapel in honour of the Virgin has to be much earlier. In fact, the aforementioned document makes reference to a letter related to a case brought forward by Don Fernando de Castro, parish priest of the town of Muxia, to the archbishop of Santiago Don Lope de Mendoza, requesting the annexing of the chapel of A Barca to the parrochial one of Santa Maria:

"For the service of God and devotion of the parishioners of this town and of other parts who went to the place called "Das Cruces", where there was a hermitage in honour of "Nuestra Señora de la Barca", and so that it would be better served and treated, you would order and give permission and license for the aforementioned hermitage to be erected and rebuilt to the same specifications, and to annex it and incorporate it to the parish church of Santa Maria of Muxia."

The deteriorated state in which the original chapel was found indicates that it was built one or two centuries previously, through which we can deduce that the first chapel erected in that place must date from the XI or XII century.

This chapel was rebuilt on various occasions, according to the letters contained in the parish archives, until at the beginning of the XVIII century (more specifically in 1719) the current church was built. The building work was financed through donations made by Don Xoan de Rivadeneira, Count of Frigiliana, continued by his daughter, Tereixa de Taboada and his son-in-law, Count of Maceda, Don Jose Benito Lanzos Novoa e Andrade. The stone used came, mainly, from a ruined house which the monks at Moraime monastery had in the coastal area (where the fishmarket is nowadays), and which previously had belonged to the Carantoña family.

In 1729, Don Antonio Pedro de Nolasco, Count of Maceda, seeks permission from the archbishop of Santiago to transfer his parents' ashes to this Shrine, a request which was granted. The transfer took place the following year. The Count of Maceda lies in the High Altar at the foot of the "Evangelio" (Gospel) and his wife, the Countess of Taboada, on the side of the "epistola" (letter). On their tombstones their coat of arms are engraved.

The Rectory, which is situated next to the chapel, along with the independent bell-tower were built afterwards. The first dates from 1828, built under orders from Muxia's parish priest, Don Jose Fondevila Martinez, and the second dates from 1834. The shrine towers were recently rebuilt (1958), funded by Don Romualdo Bentin Moreira, from Muxia.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF THE SHRINE

The current temple has a Latin cross design which is 33m long by 19m wide at the transept. It's baroque in style and shares certain similarities with other churches in Galicia. It has only one nave with thick ashlar walls. Each of the four corners of the transept has its corresponding square pilaster, adjoining the walls. Through the length of the nave, which is divided into various stretches, it has consoles instead of pillars,with plain architrave and frieze. From the cornice rounded transverse arches which support the barrel vaults which cover the part of the nave just before the transept. This is covered by a groined vault in its central part and by a vault over lunettes in its lateral arms, which is carried through to the presbytry.

Altogether it represents a building in the baroque style not without the influence of the previous century's classicism. Its austerity and monotony is broken up by the rich decoration of its altarpiece.

THE ALTARPIECES

Documents exist which tell of five altarpieces previous to the ones which currently can be seen in the shrine. The only one that survived is the one which was the main one, donated by the archbishop of Santiago, Don Antonio Monroy, and which is found in the parish church of Santa Maria de Muxia.

The current main altarpiece, of baroque style, is the work of Miguel de Romay, an artist from Compostela, and it is in honour of Virgen de La Barca. It was comissioned in 1717 by Don Francisco Mourin, administrator to the Count of Maceda. Vertically, it's divided into three lanes, and horizotally, into four parts. The division of the lanes is done through the use of ornate plasters.

The first part, divided by pedestals, has at the extremes of its base four lion heads and in the middle of each of the two the doors to the sacristy. Beside these, the reliefs of the eight patriarchs (St. Domingo, St. Bieito, St. Agustín, St. Pedro Nolasco, St. Bernardo. St. Francisco, St. Ignacio, St. Caetano).

The central part, the largest and most eye-catching of the set, has the two lateral parts dedicated to the Apostles with a bust in relief, everything converging towards the centre where the niche of the gothic statue of the Virgin, a XIV century work, is. This part, elaborately decorated with angel's heads, castles, suns, irises, stars and soon, is the most baroque of the whole altarpiece.

The last part of the altarpiece, which has the simplest decoration, adapts to the curvature of the vault; its structure being similar to the other two parts. The side lanes continue to show busts of the Apostles, reserving the central part for the marian theme of the Coronation.

There are two other baroque altarpieces: St. Juan's and St. Miguel's, located opposite each other on the long arm of the nave.

The first of these two was donated by Don Xoan Antonio Caamaño Varela, Lord of Romelle. It has three parts and three lanes. The central part, rather than being divided by wreathed columns, is done by natural motifs. In the centre is the image of St. John within a niche which has lace decorating the edges.

The altarpiece featuring St. Miguel was originally in honour of Santiago Apostol (St.James). It dates from the same time as the main altarpiece and was possibly donated by the Counts of Maceda. Its style, belonging to the Romay school, is similar to the St. Juan altarpiece, changing the naturalist decorative motifs for symbolic motifs which refer to the Apostle.

There are four other altars with their respective altarpieces. Two are situated symetrically in the centre of the arms of the transept: the Salaeta and the Purisima Concepcion, built in 1872. The other two at the extremes of the stairs which allow access to the presbytry, in honour of Santo Cristo (Holy Christ) and Virgen de los Dolores (Dolores Virgin), commissioned by Don Jose Fondevila with funds from the shrine.