Amongst all the pazos of Vilagarcía, Vistalegre is the only one which is catalogued as a Historic- Artistic National Monument. Its construction coincides with the founda-tion of Vilagarcía as it was at that time, in the mid-15th century, when García de Caamaño decided to build a tower in this location from which he could dominate both the new village and and the port.
Some years later, a fire destroyed the construction which would be rebuilt to become the current pazo around the year 1545 when the family estate was established by initiative of Álvaro Gómez de So-tomayor, the founder’s grandson, and especially due to the determination and economic aid of Alvaro’s brother, Rodrígo de Mendoza – Abbot of Teverga (Asturias) and chaplain of Carlos V.
The new construction occupied great part of the old castro of Alobre. It was built on a mound by the side of the marshland of the river Con and the old Camino Real – Royal way – which joined Cambados with Vilagarcía and that with Santiago. Vistalegre was a manor house flanked by two towers for about a centu-ry until a flash of lightning demolished the southern tower.
Around 1645, one of Mr Álvaro’s grandsons, Fernando de Andrade, Archbishop of Santiago, decided to build the Augustinian convent. It was at that time when the tower was erected again although next to the convent and the pazo and church became linked through its characteristic arch passageway.
Vistalegre was remodeled both in the 17th and 18th centuries when some elements of the Baroque style were incorporated, and they continue to be its distinguishing features. In 1633 an inventory shed light on the sumptuousness of the pazo which contained oil paintings, Flemish and Italian tapestries. The coats of arms represent Caamaño’s, Mendoza´s and Sotomayor´s arms as well as Andarade´s Archbishop sym-bols with fleur-de-lis flags to honour another Andrade, the Count of Pontedeume, who won the battle of Seminara to the French army in 1503.
In the first years of the 20th century, the pazo became the British vice consulate headquarters, and later on it was boutht by a wealthy indiano – a Spanish emigrant who became rich in Latin America- , Andrés Fernández, the owner of the biggest silver mine in Mexico.
Address : C/ Vistalegre, 1 – 36600 – Vilagarcía de Arousa
E-mail: turismo@vilagarcia.gal
Phone: 986 50 12 27 / 647 783 469 (Tourist Information Office).
Visits: Private property. Only outdoor visits are allowed.
