A Terra <strong>de</strong> Frieiras fue zona importante porla explotación <strong>de</strong> las minas, sobre todo a lacaí<strong>da</strong> <strong>de</strong> la Sierra hacia los ríos Camba yBibeí. Eran minas <strong>de</strong> oro; las <strong>de</strong>l Río Camba,A Bouza y Cal <strong>de</strong> Sinos, sacaban el rico metalcomo en las Médulas, per ruina montium.Por ello había una Calza<strong>da</strong> <strong>de</strong> las Minas queatravesaba <strong>de</strong> sur a norte la zona, ramal <strong>de</strong>la vía XVII que venía <strong>de</strong> Bracara Augusta porChaves; en O Tameirón existe una piedramiliaria. Otra calza<strong>da</strong> sería la anterior XVII,con estación en Pinetos (Pinetum), hoy Pentes5 kilómetros <strong>de</strong>bajo <strong>de</strong> A Gudiña, sobre elRío <strong>da</strong> Riberia que seguía a Lubián y AsSenabrega. En Lubián se uniría a la vía XVI,que Rodríguez Colmenero señala futura Vrea<strong>de</strong> Castilla <strong>de</strong> peregrinación y camino real.Como dije en articulo anterior, en este espacioy con centro en A Mezquita, llamados por elRey Alfonso VII se instalan en el siglo XIIlos Caballeros Templarios con la finali<strong>da</strong>d <strong>de</strong>vigilar la nueva frontera crea<strong>da</strong> con lain<strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>ncia <strong>de</strong> Portugal en los años <strong>de</strong>1120 y <strong>de</strong> paso proteger el camino citado,y que hoy an<strong>da</strong>mos, am<strong>para</strong>ndo a viajantesy peregrinos en el difícil paso <strong>de</strong> Requeixo,As Portelas y Serra Seca. Cuando fueronsuprimidos, señores <strong>de</strong> la nobleza agraciadoscon la preben<strong>da</strong> los sustituyeron ; estos sonlos que hubieron que vérselas en las guerrascon Portugal por conquistar el país. Otro díaseguiremos por A Gudiña y A Serra Seca.Eligio Rivas Quintas6
I will go on talking about this Land of Frieiraswe are going through, as previously promised.Two Councils belong to this mentioned Land:A Mezquita and A Gudiña. Both of themoccupy a unique situation on the South-Eastcorner of Ourense Province, neighbouringthe Portuguese region Tras os Montes andthe province Zamora. At this same point iswhere the Macizo Central (Central MountainRange) and Serra Segun<strong>de</strong>ira (Segun<strong>de</strong>iraMountain Ridge) on the North and Sierra <strong>de</strong>Culebra (Snake Mountain Ridge) on the East.The first one (Macizo Central) belongscompletely to Ourense. The second onese<strong>para</strong>tes Ourense and Zamora from PeñaTrevinca (Trevinca Crag), in the North-Westvertex. The third one, in Zamora, ends onthe opposite extreme, on the Meseta(Plateau).All along it, or surrounding it through thevast and extensive riversi<strong>de</strong>, we go up toLas Portelas, of O Padornelo and A Can<strong>da</strong>.These are the only possibilities to make one’sway between the River Sil and SierraZamorana (Zamorana Ridge). Then we mustgo up the steep slope of Mountain Marabón,on whose occi<strong>de</strong>ntal slope meets A Mezquitaon the Azureira si<strong>de</strong>.THE MOZARAB ROUTE IVfollowing on it: CAPITO SEVER (I) ARA (M)PONO SANCT (E) DEANE, which means:Capitón, son of Severo, I here place this altarstone to Saint Diana.Through all this rough space of the CentralMountain Range you can find plenty of thetypical fauna -bears, stags, roe <strong>de</strong>ers, andwild boars– and the enemy of all of them:the wolf. Many of the names of thesurrounding villas in San Mame<strong>de</strong> Ridge comefrom the names of the typical animals of thearea: Pala <strong>da</strong> Osa (2), A <strong>da</strong> Osa, Fonte doOso, Corga <strong>da</strong> Osa, La<strong>de</strong>ira <strong>da</strong> Osa, A Fraga<strong>da</strong> Osa (place names related to Bears=Oso/a),As corzas, La<strong>de</strong>iras <strong>da</strong>s Corzas, As Corcerizas,Val <strong>de</strong> Cáparo, O Cáparo, O veado, O Cavancodo Veado, (place names related to roe <strong>de</strong>ers),O Chan do Porco, A fonte <strong>da</strong> Porca (placenames related to pigs)… and to hunt themall and also the wolf: A Arma<strong>da</strong> (The Army),Chan <strong>da</strong> Arma<strong>da</strong>, O Forco (in A Gudiña),O Forco dos Lobos –Lobo means wolf–. (InCá<strong>da</strong>vos <strong>da</strong> Mezquita), O cortello dos Lobos(in Lubián).In Galician, The name ”Azureiras” comesfrom the original activity of the area (AsFrieiras) through the centuries –it was a biggame hunting area. On this slope there is aplentiful supply of goshawk (Azor, inGalician)– bird of prey and hunting assistantwhen trained. This pre<strong>da</strong>tor was used by theLords who were skilled in falconry. In fact,the whole Central Mountain Range was veryfamous due to big game hunting, so famousthat in the XIV century the King Alfonso XIemphasizes in this book Libro <strong>de</strong> Montaríathat this are was really good for bear hunting:Teixido and Río Sanmame<strong>de</strong>, (River Maogoes down to Monte<strong>de</strong>rramo), Cascaros <strong>de</strong>Conso, (Over Vilariño <strong>de</strong> Conso) and RiverDiabredo in O Pereiro. A vows altar stonewas found in Mount Azureira which is to<strong>da</strong>yin Ourense’s Museum. It was <strong>de</strong>voted by agrateful hunter to Diana (hunting god<strong>de</strong>ss)in the Romans period. You can read theCruceiro <strong>de</strong> Seixalvo7