Soutomaior. Medal island

About this heritage

Medal island or Insuíña is located at the Verdugo river´s mouth, near Ponte Sampaio. It is a small island connected to land by a small bridge. Its name comes from the fact that it belonged to the painter Antonio Medal Carrera (1902-1985) in the 20th century.

It was a meeting centre where recitals and gatherings were organised with great illustrious figures such as Castelao, Asorey, Laxeiro, Valle Inclán, Ramón Cabanillas or Manuel Quiroga.

The island consists of several elements such as a stone granary “horreo” with six feet and six turnstiles, with a pinnacle at one end of the roof and a cross at the other. A dovecote and an arbour with a curious table designed by Antonio Medal himself and various architectural objects. In the middle of the island there is a small hut used to store different materials.

The island´s entrance is preceded by a stone bridge with a single eye that is joined to a wooden catwalk. The stone entrance has two pillars that end in sharp pinnacles at the top. Above the gateway there is an inscription: "Pequeniña, pero miña". The perimeter of the gate has a stone wall with battlements as decoration.

It was abandoned until 2007 when it was acquired by the General Management of Coasts and the Ministry of the Environment and the recovery of the island's environment and its elements was considered. The refurbishment was carried out on the basis of old documentation and photographs provided by the former owners of the island.

From here there is a wonderful view of the medieval bridge Ponte Sampaio at the mouth of the river Verdugo and on the other side you can see the Arcade bridge and views of San Simón´s cove. There is a section of the Way of Saint James along the coast that can be taken from this medieval bridge in the opposite direction by walking around it to the Arcade beach.

To learn more

Medal Island, so called because it belonged to the painter and ceramist Antonio Medal Carrera, in the 20th century, who was born in Puenteareas in 1902 and died in Vigo in 1985. He was also known as the artistic director of the ceramic and porcelain factory in Pontesa.

He started his artistic studies at the School of Arts and Crafts in La Coruña, where he was a pupil of Román Navarro and a partner of Luis Mosquera.

In 1918, he travelled to Madrid with a two-year pension to improve his studies, where he combined his work at the Mint with visits to the Prado Museum and the painting studio, with Sotomayor, which style would mark his work, characterized by costumbrist scenes and portraits. In 1923 he was granted a scholarship for three more years and took the opportunity to travel to Italy and Germany from March to June 1923 to broaden his artistic knowledge.

During his stay in Madrid, Medal, showing his great conversation faculties, participated in the artistic gatherings where he established friendship with Arturo Soto and Virxilio Blanco.

Finally, in 1925, he returned to Pontevedra, where he did his military service. There, he attended the gathering of the Café Moderno with Castelao, Carlos Sobrino, Ramón Peña and the one of the Baron of Casa Goda's pazo (traditional manor house), where he met Manuel Quiroga.

He had a period in which he carried out several works with regionalist themes, travelled to Paris and also spent some time at La Guardia invited by the architect Antonio Palacios. In 1931 he travelled to London thanks to the Corona González Santos patronage, widow of the philanthropist Ramón González.

When he returned from London, he returned to Ponteareas and after the Civil War he discovered the field of ceramics, to which he devoted all his efforts, relegating painting to a second term. He established himself in Arcade and, from 1945 onwards, he focused his interest on ceramics, repeating the same popular characters he had brought to the canvases, while trying to reproduce old pieces.

At the age of 50 he married Mercedes Rodríguez Couselo, who managed to get him to take up painting again, but without abandoning ceramics, which continued to be his main occupation.

Some of his works are portraits such as Portrait of Alfonso XIII, 1923 the Portrait of Eduardo Cea-Naharro Varela, Baron of Casa Goda of 1925 or the Portrait of Manolo Quiroga, 1927 among others. And also scenes like O rapaz das Mazás (The boy of the apples), 1928, A rosquilleira de Xinzo (Doughnut´s Lady from Xinzo), 1929 and Rapaza a beira do Miño (The girl of the Miño´s river side).

In ceramics, we can emphasize Cabeza de gallega (Galician head), el Marinero con red (sailor with net) la Niña con trenzas (the girl with braids) and El barón de Münchaussen (Münchaussen´s baron) among others.

To know it better

In the municipality of Soutomaior, in Pontevedra, you will find the Verdugo river´s mouth, next to Ponte Sampaio. After a small bridge, we find a small island.

This island belonged to Antonio Medal (1902-1985) during the 20th century, a painter born in Arcade (parish of Soutomaior). The artist met on the island with prominent figures from the world of culture such as Castelao, Laxeiro, Valle Inclán, Ramón Cabanillas and Manuel Quiroga.

The island was named after this former owner, Medal. In 2007, it became the property of the Ministry of the Environment, who took a short walk to enjoy the views of the island. In addition, we can find a hórreo (stone granary), a dovecote and an arbour, where surely many meetings of the above mentioned protagonists took place.

The island can be accessed from a small bridge. There is an inscription above the door: "Pequeniña, pero miña".

Soutomaior is a municipality in the province of Pontevedra. It is located at the mouth of the Verdugo river and San Simón island.