CRUCEIRO DE TORROSO
Os cruceiros son aceno de identidade da paisaxe galega e expresión da devoción popular. Levántanse en cruces de camiños ou preto de ermidas, igrexas e cemiterios. En Galicia hai uns 12.000 cruceiros, un deles é este, situado cerca da igrexa de San Mamede de Torroso.
ARQUITECTURA DOS CRUCEIROS
Os cruceiros son considerados obras de arte popular e en Galicia están construídos con pedra de granito labrada e esculpida. A maioría deles están constituídos polos seguintes elementos:
- Unha plataforma cunha, dúas ou varias bancadas sobre a que se asenta o pedestal, normalmente cuadrangular, e que pode presentar inscricións.
- O fuste (tamén denominado varal, esteo ou mastro) é a parte alongada que eleva a cruz e pode presentar formas diversas: en sección cuadrangular coas arestas rebaixadas no centro do fuste (a máis frecuente), octogonal ou cilíndrica. Os máis sinxelos son completamente lisos, mentres que outros presentan diversos motivos esculpidos e relacionados coa paixón de Cristo, Adán e Eva, a serpe, caveiras ou outras figuras denominadas Santiños. Sobre o fuste atópase o capitel, xeralmente de forma troncopiramidal investida, e que tamén pode ser sinxelos ou decorados con composicións e figuras variadas.
- Finalmente atópase a cruz, que polo xeral aparece cun Cristo crucificado nun lado (a cara principal do cruceiro) e unha imaxe da Virxe María ou un Santo no outro (a cara posterior).
FINALIDADE
Estes monumentos eríxense en lugares diversos e tamén con diferentes finalidades, xeralmente por algunha das seguintes:
- Santificar os camiños, as encrucilladas, as prazas e os carreiros.
- Protexer de feitizos e outros “males” de orixe mística. Por exemplo, nalgunhas zonas do rural galego críase que os cruceiros eran lugares nos que poñerse a salvo da Santa Compaña se algún veciño topábase con ela pola noite.
- Conducir ós peregrinos e achegar un lugar para o descanso e protección dos camiñantes.
- Tamén son lugares de oración durante o exercicio dos Via Crucis.
- Anunciar a proximidade de santuarios ou lugares de sepultura. Antigamente, os nenos que falecían sen bautizar e a igrexa non permitía enterrar no cemiterio eran enterrados aos pés dos cruceiros, xa que se consideraba que así estaban máis preto dun lugar santo.
- Algúns cruceiros tamén servían para delimitar os límites xeográficos de municipios e outros termos territoriais, para conmemorar acontecementos históricos ou lendarios e para facerse perdoar algún pecado.
O CACHÉ
Atópase agochado debaixo do banco de pedra, moi cerca do cruceiro.
ENGLISH
TORROSO CRUISE
The crosses are a gesture of identity of the Galician landscape and an expression of popular devotion. They are erected at crossroads or near chapels, churches and cemeteries. In Galicia there are about 12,000 crosses, one of them is this one, located near the church of San Mamede de Torroso.
ARCHITECTURE OF CRUISES
The crosses are considered works of popular art and in Galicia they are built with carved and carved granite stone. Most of them are made up of the following elements:
- A platform with one, two or several benches on which the pedestal sits, usually quadrangular, and which may have inscriptions.
- The shaft (also known as the pole, pole or mast) is the elongated part that raises the cross and can have different shapes: in a quadrangular section with the edges lowered in the center of the shaft (the most common), octagonal or cylindrical. The simplest ones are completely smooth, while others have various carved motifs and related to the passion of Christ, Adam and Eve, the snake, skulls or other figures called Santiños. On the shaft is the capital, usually in the form of a truncated pyramid, which can also be simple or decorated with various compositions and figures.
- Finally there is the cross, which generally appears with a crucified Christ on one side (the main face of the cross) and an image of the Virgin Mary or a Saint on the other (the back face).
PURPOSE
These monuments are erected in various places and also with different purposes, usually for one of the following:
- Consecrate roads, crossroads, squares and paths.
- Protect from spells and other "evils" of mystical origin. For example, in some areas of the Galician countryside, it was believed that the cruceiros were places in which to get safe from the Santa Compaña if a neighbor ran into her at night.
- Guide the pilgrims and provide a place for the rest and protection of the walkers.
- They are also places of prayer during the Stations of the Cross.
- Announce the proximity of sanctuaries or burial places. In the past, children who died without being baptized and the church did not allow burial in the cemetery were buried at the foot of the crosses, as it was considered that they were closer to a holy place.
- Some crosses were also used to delimit the geographical boundaries of municipalities and other territorial terms, to commemorate historical or legendary events and to have a sin forgiven.
THE CACHE
It is hidden under the stone bench, very close to the cross.