SantigosoChurch of San Simón
The parish church dates from the 18th century and has a fine Baroque altarpiece carved in 1784 and some interesting figurative high reliefs on the intrados of the triumphal arch: a representation of the devil, a sea siren (symbol of deceit), fleurons... a handful of images representing sin and evil located on the boundary between the earthly world (the nave) and the kingdom of God (the chancel).
The church was annexed to the church of Santa María da Vilavella, which was a lay patronage, which means that since the 15th century it was controlled and financed by the Count of Benavente, a wealthy lay family.
In an old house in the village there is an engraving similar to the one in Cádavos: chalice with sacred host superimposed, between two candlesticks, "perhaps from the 15th century", according to Rivas Quintas and Rodríguez Cruz. In the lower part we can see: Xesús María with a kicked cross on top. Something similar can be seen in the atrium of the church of Ganade.
In 1506 Cardinal Cisneros, regent of the Crown of Castile on two occasions, spent the night in this parish, coinciding with the Vista de Remesal (Sanabria) where Ferdinand the Catholic and his son-in-law, Philip the Handsome, met to decide who should take over the government of Castile.
Land of chestnut groves
The philologist and ethnographer Rivas Quintas believes that Santigoso is clearly an abundant name with a late Latin suffix in -oso. It seems to be a primitive (*terrenu) salticosu > *Sautigoso > Santigoso. The value would be: "land of chestnut groves". Parejo must be Santigueiro in Parada del Sil and A Peroxa (Ourense), primitive *terrenu salticariu.
