Hórreo

Hórreo in Gondomar, Galicia

Asturian Hórreo

Reconstructed Hórreo in Parque de Invierno (Oviedo)

A Hórreo [ 'oreo ] (from Latin : horreum and sometimes also "Hórrero" written) is a traditional storage facility for field crops (e.g. maize ), as it is mainly in northern Portugal as espigueiro (from Portuguese espiga = "ear") and is found in the Spanish regions of Asturias , Galicia , Cantabria , Navarre and in the north of the province of León . In function it corresponds to the Bavarian - Austrian grain box . The smaller Hórreos were mostly used by just one or two families; the longer specimens, however, were usually village common storehouses.

architecture

Hórreos or Espigueiros are free-standing and built of wood or stone; The characteristic thing about them is the usually approx. 80 to 120 cm high substructure: on mostly stone pillars there are large stone disks on which the actual storage facility - mostly built in wood - rests. This can - as in Asturias - have a square or - as in Galicia and Leon - an elongated rectangular plan; the walls and doors are provided with air slots.

The background for this type of construction are the climatic conditions in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula : rainfall of up to 2000 mm / year is not uncommon in Galicia; the resulting high humidity causes the supplies to rot if the ventilation is poor. At the same time, however, no pests (mice, rats) may penetrate through the necessary ventilation openings. These are small enough to keep birds away from the stored goods. The stone slabs form an overhang that the rodents living on the ground can hardly overcome.

Bauzier

Some Hórreos are sometimes richly decorated; Often there are one or more crosses on their roofs, sometimes also stone obelisks , which are supposed to keep evil spirits away.

Today's meaning

The Hórreos or Espigueiros are hardly in use as granaries anymore, but are mostly cared for and preserved, as they represent important cultural assets for the population of the regions mentioned and also serve as tourist attractions. In Asturias alone there are said to be around 18,000 such storages today. The oldest, still preserved granaries come from the 15th century; the largest - with a length of approx. 35 m - is located in the municipality of Carnota in northwestern Galicia (see: Hórreo de Carnota ).