GALICIAN PAZOS
Architecture, Landscape and Memory
Pazo de Oca (A Estrada, Pontevedra)
Over the years, Galicia has left its mark on architecture with a variety of buildings that speak of its history, society, and relationship with the land. Among them, pazos hold a prominent place. Built mostly between the 16th and 19th centuries, these buildings served as centers of economic and social power, linked to Galician nobility or families with local influence.
Many pazos combine residential architecture with defensive elements and spaces dedicated to agriculture, making them valuable witnesses to a way of life that has since disappeared. As an architectural and landscape photographer, I’m interested in them both for their structure and for what they represent: places of transition between the domestic and the symbolic, between power and landscape.
But each one has something that makes it unique: that balance between stone and the surrounding gardens, the coats of arms that speak of ancient lineages, the chimneys, galleries, and exterior staircases that remind us there was life behind the stone.
Most of my photographs of pazos focus on six specific locations:
Pazo de Oca (A Estrada, Pontevedra): Known as the "Galician Versailles", it is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular. Its gardens, ponds, and camellias make it a unique place, with an almost cinematic atmosphere.
Vista parcial del estanque del Pazo de Oca
Cisnes en el Pazo de Oca
Pazo de Santa Cruz de Ribadulla (Vedra, A Coruña): With its impressive path of ancient olive trees and a garden that looks like it came from a fairy tale, it is another example of harmony between architecture and landscape.
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Pazo de Santa Cruz de Ribadulla
Pazo de Tor (Monforte de Lemos, Lugo): A gem in the south of Lugo that still preserves original furniture, a library, and archives. Its state of preservation and surroundings make it an exceptional place to understand what these spaces were like on the inside.
Pazo de Tor (main façade)
Pazo de Tor (side façade)
Pazo de Lourizán (Pontevedra): Surrounded by an extensive botanical garden and with architecture reminiscent of French manor houses, it is in a state of progressive decay, although restoration projects have been announced and we hope they are carried out.
Pazo de Lourizán (Pontevedra)
Pazo de Quintáns (Noalla, Sanxenxo, Pontevedra): In the heart of Noalla parish, in the municipality of Sanxenxo, lies Pazo de Quintáns — a sober and well-proportioned building that preserves the charm of traditional Galician architecture. Its structure reflects the practical character of rural manor houses, featuring elements such as the stone balcony, granary (hórreo), and boundary walls.
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Pazo de Quintáns (Sanxenxo, Pontevedra)
Pazo de Trasariz (Vimianzo, A Coruña): A typical example of a rural pazo in the Costa da Morte area, with coats of arms and defensive structures that recall its historical function.
Pazo de Trasariz (Vimianzo, A Coruña)
Other pazos: unseen but not absent
Beyond the photographed pazos, Galicia is full of examples that also deserve mention. Some are still in use as homes or rural tourism spaces, while others remain forgotten—but all carry a strong symbolic weight.
In the province of A Coruña: highlights include the Pazo de Mariñán, with its views of the Betanzos estuary and its well-kept garden; or the Pazo de Vilane, restored as a rural entrepreneurship project.
In Pontevedra: the Pazo de Castrelos, now the municipal museum of Vigo, or the Pazo de Fefiñáns in Cambados, closely linked to wine culture.
In Lugo: the Pazo de Tovar, near the Ancares mountains, or the Pazo de Sober, located on one of the natural balconies of the Ribeira Sacra.
In Ourense: the Pazo de Bentraces, with a stately air and history tied to Galician nobility, or the Pazo de Moldes, in Celanova.
Exploring pazos is, beyond a visual exercise, a way to approach other ways of life, to understand how architecture responds not only to practical functions but also to social and symbolic codes. Many of these places are full of stories—real or imagined—and maybe that's why I like them so much.
Photos: ©Juan Carlos Asorey
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