Very close to the town of Baio, at kilometre 55 of the C-552 from A Coruña to Fisterra, is the manor house of Torres do Allo, one of the most important examples of this type of house in Galicia (called pazo). Throughout history, this house in Allo underwent few alterations because it always remained in the hands of the same family, the Rioboos, who were from the Penela tower.
Until the research conducted by the historian José A. Sánchez García, it was believed that the entire building was from the same era, but, because of this new information, it was discovered that the north tower was built between 1490 and 1512, at the initiative of Alfonso Gómez de Rioboo Villardefrancos; the south tower and the central part of the house were built between 1669 and 1685 at the decision of Gómez de Rioboo e Seixas and his wife Jacinta de Luces Caamaño, who decided to preserve the late Gothic style of the original tower.
The towers are almost symmetrical. On the ground floor, there is a door with a half-point arch with large voussoirs, typical of the architecture of the 16th century. It is on the second floor that richer decoration can be seen on the features of the façade: an arched geminated window and French windows in the north tower and a balcony in the south tower. The entire grouping is framed by a mixtilinear arch. On the third floor there is simply a window.
On the coats of arms are the symbols of the families that were related to the Rioboos and lived in this stately home. A tower wreathed in brambles, for the Rioboos; a pine tree and lances, for the Caamaños; five doves, for the Seixas; two lizards under a stone, for the Losadas; and five fig leaves, identifying the Figueroas.
The central section is on two levels with a gable roof, on which there is a sturdy chimney. On the ground floor, there are three doors and on the upper floor, six rectangular mullion windows. On the cornice, figures of gargoyles can be seen.
In the first half of the 20th century the owners stopped living in the manor house, while the agents remained, and by the second half of the century it was no longer inhabited. The A Coruña provincial government, aware of the historical and architectural value of the building, came to an agreement with the López-Rioboo family and purchased it in 1998. Two years later, restoration work began and it was opened to the public in 2005, managed by the municipality of Zas. The interior shows what rural life was like at the time of the manor houses, the lineage of the Rioboo family and information on other manor houses on the Costa da Morte. Cultural activities are also held there.
Some 200 m from the manor house is the parish church of San Pedro do Allo (dedicated to Saint Peter), which acted as the private chapel of the Rioboos, where several family members are buried. It contains an interesting Renaissance façade-altarpiece.
