Araño Hórreo

About this heritage

The Galician hórreo is a specific construction of the autonomous community. Its use was agricultural and it was intended to dry and store corn, as well as other cereals before shelling and grinding them. It played an essential role, as it was the best way to preserve the grain away from moisture and animals such as birds, insects, and rodents that could devour and spoil it. Currently, some of these constructions are still used for the conservation and storage of potatoes, onions, and garlic.

The hórreo consists of an oblong, narrow storage chamber that is permeable to air passage. It is elevated from the ground to prevent the entry of moisture and animals. In Galicia, three basic types of hórreo coexist: the Galician type (also called "Galician-Portuguese") made of chestnut wood, stone, or mixed; the Asturian type; and the hórreo de varas. The latter, less elaborate, includes small lightweight portable granaries made of plant materials. It is estimated that in 2004 there were 30,000 hórreos.

Traditionally, these constructions have a rectangular floor plan, although there are square, round, L-shaped, and even an octagonal one in A Fonsagrada (Lugo). The most predominant shape is rectangular, which can be more or less elongated. The longest hórreo in Galicia is the one in Araño and is located within an estate enclosed by a stone wall that belongs to the rectory. It was built in the mid-17th century, representing a display of the economic power that the rural Galician clergy achieved at that time. With dimensions of 37.05 meters in length, 2.40 meters in width, and an average height of 2.70 meters, this hórreo is built of stone and has a double-pitched tile roof. It features upper finishes with a central cross and two small pyramidal figures on the sides. Two doors open on its longitudinal side facing the church of Santa Baia. Currently, there is only one access staircase. The construction rests on a continuous stone base, with the "tornaratos" protruding at the top of this base. It serves to prevent rodents from reaching the harvest; mice can climb vertically but never turn upside down. Thus, when they reach the "tornaratos," they fall without reaching the interior of the hórreo.

The larger capacity hórreos were usually located near rectory houses and churches, since part of the gross product of the harvests, the tithe, one-tenth, was what the faithful gave to the church as a contribution.

To learn more

The origin of the term hórreo comes from the Latin horreum, since in ancient Rome they were already used as storage places for food products, mainly wheat and field fruits. The first hórreos were built on the banks of the Tiber River. The first graphic representation of a hórreo dates back to the second half of the 13th century (between 1270 and 1282). It is found in the Cantigas de Santa María, attributed to Alfonso X the Wise. Galicia is land of hórreos. In its beginnings, the aerial granaries in Galicia were linked to the cultivation of millet, a cereal with small seeds. Its cultivation was already practiced in the castro culture and its tillage lasted throughout the Middle Ages. Later, this cereal was replaced by corn from its arrival in Europe in the 17th century. The staple food of the population at that time was bread. With the introduction of corn, the increase in the production of this bread-making cereal improved the living conditions of the rural people, as well as the rents of the land. These were paid mainly in the form of tithes, paid in various species to secular lords, many of them rural hidalgos intermediaries of ecclesiastical lords in the collection of rents. The large hórreos were always located near churches and rectory houses. In 1973, a protection decree was approved by the Spanish State for all existing hórreos in Galicia and Asturias. This was intended to curb the consequences of the abandonment of rural life and the loss of their use. The hórreo of Araño is located in the place of Traba in the parish of Santa Baia de Araño, in the municipality of Rianxo (province of A Coruña). Besides being the longest hórreo in all of Galicia - with 37.05 meters in length - and the one with the greatest total capacity - about 170 cubic meters, 109.31 cubic meters in the chamber and 59.09 cubic meters in the granary. These data show the true power of the church in the 17th century in Galicia. The difference of this hórreo with others is that it has no feet, since the entire construction rests on a 36.75-meter chamber. It stored the harvest of the inhabitants of the area, who had to give a part of it to the clergy. Its different design meant that neither humidity nor mice could easily spoil the grain stored inside. Since winters were long and very rainy, it forced the harvest to be done very early, which entailed having a good place to store it and thus allow it to dry to serve as food throughout the year. The hórreo of Araño is part of an architectural complex also composed of the church of Santa Baia and the small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Miracles of Araño. Outside the enclosure, there is also an old dovecote and the rectory house. Rianxo has three of the largest hórreos that exist. Besides Araño, mention should be made of Rianxiño, which measures 24.90 meters, and the Rectoral de Isorna, with 24.50 meters in length. It is a point of interest that can be seen on the natural route Sierra de O Barbanza.

To know it better

Located in the Barbanza region, Rianxo is a municipality bordering the mouth of the Ulla River and forms the division between the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra. Its name is associated with the famous song La Rianxeira and the Virgin of Guadalupe, its patron saint. The territory is divided into the parishes of O Araño, Asados, Isorna, Leiro, Rianxo, and Taragoña. In 1821, the region had three town councils: Rianxo, Taragoña, and Asados. However, in 1836, with territorial reorganization, only Rianxo remained. In the parish of O Araño, an interesting architectural complex stands out. It is composed of the Church of Santa Baia, the small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Miracles of Araño, and next to it, the longest hórreo in Galicia. The Hórreo de Araño dates from the 17th century. Like many others, it served to store foods such as wheat, corn, or rye, acting as a pantry. The materials used for its construction were mostly stone for its structure and tile for its roof. Additionally, its base, also made of stone, does not have legs supporting it, unlike other hórreos in the Galician community. The most outstanding feature of the Hórreo de Araño is its size, the longest in Galicia, measuring 37.05 meters long, 2.40 meters wide, and 2.70 meters high. It has two doors, but only one of them retains the access ladder to the hórreo. Furthermore, its facade features a small cross and two figures that make it even more special.