Argozón brings together two religious buildings with different architectural characteristics. San Vicente de Argozón is a Romanesque church dating from the second half of the 12th century; the Capela de Gordón dates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. An official route sequence, a municipal circular route and directions by road from Chantada add practical planning information to the architectural history.
San Vicente de Argozón: Romanesque architectural features
The church has a rectangular nave and a rectangular apse. At the end wall of the apse is a round-arched window with zoomorphic capitals and billet decoration. At San Vicente, both the clear division of the building’s structure and a precisely identified ornamental detail are central. The church is also the eleventh stop on the official Ruta de Montaña, a Romanesque route.
Its listed heritage status is also part of its context: in the appendix to the 2018 decree on the Ribeira Sacra cultural landscape, San Vicenzo de Argozón is listed as an immovable religious heritage asset. The names San Vicente and San Vicenzo refer here to the same church.
Capela de Gordón: floor plan and altarpieces
The Capela de Gordón dates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Its rectangular floor plan is complemented by a square presbytery and a sacristy attached to the side. This makes it possible to compare its layout with that of San Vicente: there, both the nave and the apse are rectangular, while here the square presbytery adds a distinct form.
Three altarpieces have been preserved inside the chapel: the main chapel altarpiece and two side altarpieces. All three are Baroque. Comparing the two buildings therefore brings together different chronological and architectural points of reference: San Vicente dates from the second half of the 12th century; the Capela de Gordón dates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with Baroque altarpieces inside.
Routes and directions from Chantada
The municipal Romanesque route is a 46.6 km circular route. From Chantada, it passes through O Monte, Argozón, Mouricios, Requeixo and Bermún before returning to Chantada. Its length refers to the entire circuit; the sequence of places shows its route. San Vicente’s stop number on the Ruta de Montaña and the total length of the municipal circular route are two different measures to consider when planning a route.
The road directions also distinguish the two religious buildings. From Chantada, San Vicente de Argozón can be reached via the LU-213 towards Rodeiro; the distance is approximately 11 km. The Capela de Gordón is approximately 12 km from Chantada and can be reached via the LU-213 towards Lalín-Santiago. Both sets of directions start in Chantada, but head in different directions and lead to different destinations.
Argozón borders the Sierra de O Monte Faro on its western side. This geographical reference adds a named landscape to the directions between the churches and the routes.
If you are looking for a hotel in Argozón, you can plan your trip around these highlights: the religious buildings offer architectural details and different dates; the circular route includes several places along its 46.6 km course.
Discover more destinations: Baralla, Meirengos, A Ermida, Incio, Donís, San Fiz, Friol, Chavín.
For the wider travel overview: Lugo.
