Puntos de Interés
Culture
Chapel of San Xoán de Cachón
The ruins of the Chapel of San Xoán de Cachón stand as a vestige of the past in an environment marked by the river's presence. The name Cachón derives from its location near the river; Cachón refers to the white foam formed in turbulent waters, typically caused by a narrowing of the channel or a sudden drop in level. Although today the river flows slowly and smoothly between two reservoirs, this toponym is a reminder of how the river used to flow in the past.
What remains of this small building are its stone walls, forming a rectangular nave with a small annex, possibly added at a later stage. The most interesting feature of this chapel is its lintel, which bears an inscription in Latin divided into three lines:
CVN DEI ADMINICLO
FRANKILA ABBA(s)
CONDIDIT OPVS ERA DCCCCL VI A
Its translation would be: "With the help of God, Abbot Franquila made this work. Era 956 (AD 918)". Despite the clarity of the message, the authenticity of this inscription as proof of the chapel's origin casts doubt, as it presents two significant inconsistencies: first, the building lacks any architectural elements characteristic of the 10th century; and second, the lintel does not correspond to the rest of the structure - it is not placed symmetrically above the door and its carving only matches several loose stones in the building.
These discrepancies suggest that the lintel may have been reused from an earlier structure, possibly related to the work of Abbot Franquila in the restoration of the Monastery of San Estevo. It is believed that, at some point, a monk may have built his own refuge here, repurposing materials from previous constructions.