Church of San Xoán or San Nicolao

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Romanesque church-fortress from the 12th century

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The Church of San Xoán, also known as San Nicolao, is one of the most outstanding Romanesque monuments on the Camino de Santiago and the most imposing building in Portomarín.

Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, it features a unique church-fortress architecture, with a single nave, semicircular apse, battlements, arrow slits, and four towers. It was moved stone by stone from its original location in old Portomarín due to the construction of the Belesar reservoir, and was reopened in 1966.

Its façade stands out for a huge rose window over 5 meters in diameter (one of the largest in Galicia) and a porch with three archivolts decorated in the style of Master Mateo.

Inside, sober and elegant, the pointed vault, the representation of the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse, and the figure of the Pantocrator on the tympanum stand out. From the inner corridor, you can access the walkway and the battlemented towers, reinforcing its defensive character.

The church was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931.