It seems clear that Valdoviño did not originally mean the apparent “Valley of Wine,” as most linguists agree. Instead, they trace its origins to the Valley of Aviño. A historical text from 1172 states:
“Et est ipsa hereditate mea propria que habui de avulorum et parentorum meorum in villa que vocitant Pousada de Avino, in territorio Trasanquis.”
Which translates to:
“This is my own inherited land, which I received from my grandparents and parents, in the village called Posada de Aviño, in the territory of Trasancos.”
Aviño, further explored, appears to be a hydronymic Celtic term related to Ave, Avia, Avión, and A Baña, which, according to professor Juan José Moralejo, meant “wet meadow.” A valley that ends in lush, life-filled meadows before merging with the sea.
Our history fades into the megalithic night, with the discovery of evidence of the first settlers. Who knows how many of us, Ártabros of the Terra de Trasancos, are descendants of the first inhabitants of the castros? Or if our ancestors worked for Imperial Rome in the extraction of gold and tin, as Strabo recounted from Posidonius?
That distant night of time also dawned in Valdoviño, leading into the Middle Ages—an era of prosperity for this land, unlike much of Europe. We can imagine a pilgrim walking toward San Andrés de Teixido, seeking his saint with devotion. He arrives from Portugal after a long and arduous journey.
Through dark paths and trails, facing possible ambushes and wild beasts in the mountains, he endures the winter cold mixed with the sea wind. Stage by stage, he pushes forward, passing through A Coruña and Ferrol; the goal is drawing closer. Beyond the towns, the roads are unsafe—he must walk swiftly until he reaches a place to rest, free from threats, before the final long stretch toward his destination on the cliffs of Ortegal.
4o
The stopping point, the base camp before undertaking the final ascent, was Valdoviño. Inns, chapels, and churches emerged to shelter the travelers. Perhaps for this reason, Valdoviño gradually became a meeting place for people from all corners of Artabria, from this North of the North of Galicia.
A caldupeira would offer a weary pilgrim a hearty bowl of broth and listen to the stories he shared—tales that she would later recount to the villagers on winter nights. A pousadeiro would provide rest and entertainment to the traveler.
This is a noteworthy aspect of medieval Valdoviño: the welcoming nature of the kind-hearted people of this land, who always offered shelter to those who remained. That spirit of hospitality is still very much alive today, as the reader will surely notice.
4o
Many churches were built in Valdoviño to shelter the pilgrimage route. San Mamede and Santa Eulalia were the first, followed by others: Sequeiro, Lourido, Lago, Timiraos, As Neves, Taraza, and Valdetires, all documented as early as the 12th century.
Along the route to San Andrés, in the village of Liñeiro in Loira, stands A Capela da Fame (The Chapel of Hunger), a name that speaks for itself—a testament to the welcoming spirit of the people of Valdoviño toward pilgrims.
At this point, we can mention Professor María José Rodríguez Blanco, who highlights the similarity between the names Balduino and Valdoviño, echoing an intriguing resonance from the Carolingian Romancero.
Balduino is a Germanic name, rare in the Galician repertoire of Nomina Possessoris, and it seems clear that these lands never belonged to any Balduino. However, if we speak in purely medieval terms, there is a Valdovino in the Romancero, written as a single word, just as it is today.
Let your imagination paint the scene—let it soar. Picture a Crusader Knight of the Order of Saint John from Jerusalem, Teixido, and Régoa, guarding this medieval highway leading to the cliffs of Cedeira, well-marked with signs in the shape of Maltese Crosses.
4o
He arrives as a pilgrim and speaks to the caldupeiras of Cabo do Porto at the inn, telling them that Valdovino (Balduino) was a king in Jerusalem—the very place he had come from—a brave king, determined to safeguard Christianity. Or perhaps he paused to pray at the Hermitage of Our Lady of Liñeiro, the Ermita da Fame, the Chapel of Hunger, named for the sustenance it provided to weary pilgrims. Could he not have commissioned solemn masses for the Crusader King Valdovino, who succeeded Godfrey in the struggle for the Holy Land?
4o
Valdoviño has all the makings of a great historical novel. Unlike the medieval darkness that shrouded other parts of Europe, the Middle Ages here brought a light that was almost Renaissance-like. We must recognize and appreciate this small yet significant part of history, as it was key to shaping the next steps and the centuries that followed.
4o
Valdoviño leaped into the future through hard work. A fish-salting guild in the 13th century became a regional reference, along with the salting of whale meat and the first industrial agricultural crops… potatoes!
4o
These lands were governed by the Traba and Andrade families. The locals defended their lives with weapons on numerous occasions—against Arabs, English, and French, and even against their own feudal lords when necessary. Our villages and place names are mentioned and recited in many exceptional ancient texts.
It was one of the first municipalities to be officially established in 1812 under the new constitution, forming Pantín and Valdoviño. Historians suggest that one could argue for a continuously existing municipality from 1835 onward, when municipal governance was reinstated in Spain, lasting to the present day.
Today, this history is honored through local fairs, such as the Medieval Fair, alongside the many celebrations already marked on the calendar—from San Isidro to Corpus and El Carmen, San Mamede, San Miguel, and Santiago. These dates serve as clear reminders of Valdoviño’s heritage—a place to which we always return, like the Crusader knight on his own pilgrimage.
And when we come back, we breathe in once more the scent of salt and iodine, the sea foam, that unique aroma found nowhere else quite like here, in our North of the North. A place where, perhaps, an ancient king, after his crusades, found rest and became forever enchanted by these lands.
Alberto Torres
