Cervantes, Lugo
Encyclopedia
Cervantes is a municipality in the comarca
of Os Ancares
, in the province of Lugo
, Galicia (Spain).
It had a population of 1,973 in 2005, and has an area of 277 square kilometres. Its highest point is Mustellar (1924 m), in the Ancares mountains.
Until the second half of the 20th century this part of Spain was isolated. Many settlements had no road access or electricity and were cut off by snow in winter. Communities were small and self-sufficient
. This way of life is shown in the small museum at Piornedo
which is located in a preserved palloza
.
The main economic activities in 2006 were agriculture, forestry and tourism.
The family of the novelist Miguel de Cervantes
may have originated from this locality.
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
of Os Ancares
Os Ancares
Os Ancares is a comarca in the Galician Province of Lugo. The overall population of this local region is 13,888 .A range of mountains called in Galician the "Serra dos Ancares" forms the border with the neighbouring autonomous community of Castile and León where there is an area called Los...
, in the province of Lugo
Lugo (province)
Lugo is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Ourense, Pontevedra, and A Coruña, the principality of Asturias, the State of León, and in the north by the Cantabrian Sea .The population is 356,595 , of...
, Galicia (Spain).
It had a population of 1,973 in 2005, and has an area of 277 square kilometres. Its highest point is Mustellar (1924 m), in the Ancares mountains.
Until the second half of the 20th century this part of Spain was isolated. Many settlements had no road access or electricity and were cut off by snow in winter. Communities were small and self-sufficient
Self-sufficiency
Self-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid, support, or interaction, for survival; it is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy...
. This way of life is shown in the small museum at Piornedo
Piornedo
Piornedo is a small village in the Ancares mountains in Spain. It is part of the municipality of Cervantes, which is in the comarca of Os Ancares, in the province of Lugo, Galicia...
which is located in a preserved palloza
Palloza
A palloza also known as pallouza or pallaza) is a traditional construction of the Serra dos Ancares.-Structure:A circular or oval, of ten to twenty meters in diameter. With stone walls and covered by a conical roof, composed of stalks of rye....
.
The main economic activities in 2006 were agriculture, forestry and tourism.
The family of the novelist Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
may have originated from this locality.