There are places on Costa da Morte that still preserve their precious heritage but, far from the main lines of communication, go unnoticed by visitors and even by locals. It is also true that, when promoting this area, greater visibility is given to the coast than inland areas. The Penela Tower and Church of San Martiño de Riobó (dedicated to Saint Martin), two sites in the municipality of Cabana de Bergantiños, are a good example.
The village of Penela, which belongs to the parish of Silvarredonda, is known for its tower, which has been preserved as part of the fortress of the Bermúdez de Castro family. There were possibly two other towers as well. The tower that remains today could have been the keep. It is square, three storeys high, and has battlements with widely spaced merlons.
The main entrance is a half-point arch with large voussoirs, similar to the one in the north tower of Torres do Allo. Around the door are pieces of good stonework but the quality is not the same in the rest of the walls. In an opening on the first floor is a coat of arms with the symbols of the Bermúdez, Moscoso, Castro and Rioboo families.
The founder of this link with Penela was Lope Bermúdez de Castro, a descendant of the old Bermúdez de Montaos family. At the beginning of the 17th century, the fortress was transformed into a manor house by Lourenzo Bermúdez de Castro. Some descendants of this family were the founders of the entailed estate of Torres do Allo.
This property then came into the hands of the Ozores, counts of Priegue, and was finally purchased by the peasant Castro Ribeira family, on the condition that the tower would not be sold to anyone other than the former owners. The latter family came to an agreement with the municipality of Cabana de Bergantiños in 2022 and the fortress became municipal property. Now, the restoration required depends on financial resources being allocated for this purpose.
Near to the tower is a spring in the centre of a charming hazelnut grove. A legend tells of a tunnel between the spring and the tower used to bring water into the fortress in the event of a siege.
Near Penela is the aforementioned parish church of San Martiño de Riobó, which is associated with the lords of the Penela tower. Some of them are buried inside the church, including Rui Soneira de Rioboo and his grandson Lourenzo Bermúdez de Castro, who died in 1625, and his wife María de Leis. The temple preserves its Romanesque origins but subsequently underwent considerable remodelling. The apse is the part that most closely resembles the original. The nave was rebuilt in the mid-18th century. In the interior is a magnificent main altarpiece from the same period, an anonymous work inspired by the masters of the time in Santiago de Compostela.
Close to the parish church of Riobó is the Hermitage of San Brais de Folgoso (dedicated to Sain Blaiste), which stands on the summit of a fortified settlement as an example of the Christianisation of a previous sacred space, and the Forca well, in an extraordinary natural setting. Its depth has given rise to various legends, one of which says that there is a golden harrow at the bottom.
