CastromilChurch of A Encarnación
The church dedicated to A Nosa Señora da Encarnación is an exceptional church in the region. Its main altar has a magnificent 19th century altarpiece entirely carved in granite divided into three aisles separated by Doric columns. The side streets house wooden images of San Roque (right) and the Virgin Mary (left) in their respective temples resting on a pedestal; it ends in a scallop shell that resembles the ribs of an illusory dome. These elements are crowned with a six-leaf rosette inscribed in a circle, a decorative motif that has been present in Galicia since prehistoric times.
At the top, there is a typical crowning of architrave, frieze and cornice, with the central body advanced and larger in size. The second body is formed by a central aedicule with a niche containing an image of Christ anointed by the Holy Spirit flanked by four stylised truncated pyramid-shaped pinnacles.
The place name Castromil comes from a hybrid of Latin-Germanic origin. Thus Castru(m) is a voice that comes from Latin meaning "castle, fortified place"; it is linked to the Germanic voice Miri (-mirus -> mereis) meaning "celebrated, famous".
High relief
In an old house near the church there is a surprising high relief, perhaps dating from the 15th century: framed in a rectangle, in the centre is a chalice with a sacred host superimposed on it; on either side are two candelabra and on the side of one of them is a lectern with a book.
