Castro O Castriño
About this heritage
The castro known as O Castriño is one of the five castros located along the Vigo coastline. It is situated in the parish of Coia. Numerous fragments of castro pottery of different types were found at O Castriño, along with foreign ceramic remains, mainly represented by Punic amphorae. These findings date this castro between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C. Today, only a promontory remains among buildings, although it is still recognizable by its natural features. The Phoenicians maintained commercial relations with the Galician castros for centuries. Its geographical location favored these contacts.
To learn more
The Phoenicians were exceptional sailors and traders. Their specialization in certain manufactures allowed them to engage in highly profitable trade in the surrounding kingdoms and overseas territories. From their own production, the Phoenicians offered cedar wood, textiles (including the famous purple ones), carved ivories, furniture made of noble woods, pendants, bowls and jugs of gold and silver, and generally high-value artisanal products. They exchanged silver, lead, and tin obtained in Spain; wheat and flax from Egypt; balsams and honey from Israel; horses and mules from Anatolia; ivory and slaves from Africa; and oil and cereals from Greece. Metals were the main objective of their Atlantic route. They were the maritime disseminators of the new metal, revolutionary in war and agriculture: iron, first used in the Hittite country. The Phoenicians also sought tin, an essential material for making bronze by alloying it with copper, reaching the Cassiterides islands. Tin could be found just 30 kilometers from the Galician coast. Additionally, the Rías Baixas area had a river route, the Miño River, to penetrate inland, and the rías had excellent natural ports for anchoring and trading with indigenous communities. According to Herodotus, the Phoenicians lit bonfires on the beaches and left goods there to exchange their products. It is difficult to know if this is true, although Punic and Neo-Punic ceramics from the 6th to 1st centuries B.C. have been found on the fossil beaches of O Arenal in Vigo. Trade between the Phoenicians and the northwestern Iberian Peninsula intensified after the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.). The loss of some Mediterranean territories and the rise of Rome as a new power forced Phoenician merchants to seek other destinations to obtain raw materials in exchange for their products. It was during this search that trade routes were established, bringing a large number of materials and objects of Mediterranean origin to the northwest.
To know it better
The castro culture merged with the Roman culture, giving rise to the known Gallaecian-Roman culture. In the Galician city of Vigo, more specifically between Tomás Alonso and the Coia area, is the Castro O Castriño park. This fortification is one of the five settled in the town, and ceramics dating the castro between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C. have been found there. When we talk about castros, we refer to fortified stone settlements that began to be inhabited from the 6th century B.C. The constructions were usually circular, and roofs were made using branches, mud, and rods. Currently, the Castro O Castriño goes quite unnoticed due to the urbanized surroundings. In fact, the neighborhood in this area often requests the City Council to carry out various cleanings in the park to preserve something as valuable as this small castro.
Gallery
Location
- Town
- Vigo
- Municipality
- Vigo
- Province
- Pontevedra
- Country
- Spain
The asset
- Type
- Castro
- Eco-destination
- Ría de Vigo
- Environment
- Urban
- Relevance
- International
How to get there
- Access
- By land
- Distance
- 1,5 km
The visit
- Visitable
- Yes
- Accessible
- No
- Parking
- No
- Website
- turismodevigo.org/node/679
Coordinates
- Latitud
- 42.23231700
- Longitud
- -8.72779000