The village of San Felices de los Gallegos, declared a Historical and Artistic Monument in 1964, is located to the west of the province of Salamanca next to the Portuguese border within the natural park of Los Arribes.
There are several signs that situate the origin of the village in the Pre-Romanesque period, as the ancient granite sculpture of San Antón verifies. It was probably granted its status around the year 690. A Portuguese bishop, Don Félix, had given the village its name, referring to the “Gallegos” because they were the first settlers.
After the conquest of the village, it would receive the denomination of “town” in 1296 after being taken over by the Portuguese King Don Dionis. This monarch built the actual tower that the castle was built on and that today is now the Historical Office for the castle.
The town played a fundamental role for many centuries as a defensive bastion against foreign invaders. In the 15th century, it would reach its greatest splendour. Two centuries later it would be a decisive enclave during the War of Succession.
There are several magnificent heritage monuments conserved in the town. Next to the wall that surrounds the town, there are arched entrance ways that give access to the urban center like the Arco de Puerta and the well-known Tower of Bells. The church of Nuestra Señora located between two poplars, the hermitages of EL Cordero, Los Remedios, and El Rosario, as well as the Convent de la Pasión from the 16th Century are other relevant monuments.
The City Hall presides the Plaza Mayor and the city also possesses other ancestral homes from the modern ages such as La Alhóndiga, the house of the Mayorazgo, Roque Amador, the Señores del Ron and the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia.
Foto: josem.rus
