Discover the intangible cultural heritage of A Guarda
8 February 2021 | By University of Vigo
Image | A Guarda - A Spanish fishing village
A GUARDA
Written by Atlantic CultureScape Project Partner, University of Vigo
To the southeast of Galicia, the river Miño, Mount Santa Tegra and the Atlantic Ocean guard over the municipality of A Guarda. The history of this land is largely conditioned by its geographical location.
Mount Santa Tegra protects the community. The castro at the summit shows us the long history of these lands. A walled settlement with gates to the north and south, it offers us the remains of houses, legends, petroglyphs, tales, ovens and other archaeological artifacts.
The River Miño brings the substratum of the earth that drains into the ocean right next to Mount Santa Tegra. Ecosystems that harbour knowledge linked to a river; old songs that resonate today.
The waters of the Atlantic nourish the people, who for millennia have built lives connected to the sea. Salt water that supplies the food necessary for life, the arghazo algae that fertilizes the orchards, words with which to name the wind. Marine lives linked to an ocean that gives, but also takes.
Land of the sea arts, which weave nets and carve wooden boats to the sound of the songs of tavern.
A GUARDA
Ao sueste da Galiza, o río Miño, o monte Santa Tegra e o océano Atlántico custodian o Concello da Guarda. A historia deste territorio está en gran medida condicionada polo seu emprazamento xeográfico.
O monte Santa Tegra protexe á comunidade. Un castro no seu alto móstranos a longa historia destas terras. Un poboado amurallado con portas ao norte e ao sur. Nel atopamos restos de vivendas, lendas, petróglifos, contos, fornos e outros artefactos arqueolóxicos.
O Miño trae o substrato da terra que desauga no océano, alí mesmo, xunto ao monte. Ecosistemas que acollen saberes ligados a un río, cantares vellos que resoan hoxe.
As augas do Atlántico nutren as súas xentes, que durante milenios construiron vidas ligadas ao mar. Augas salgadas que abastecen o alimento necesario para a vida, o arghazo co que abonar as hortas, palabras coas que nomear o vento. Vidas mariñeiras ligadas a un océano que dá, mas tamén leva.
Terra das artes do mar, que enfían redes e tallan barcos en madeira ao son dos cantos de taberna.