Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Arcos
Arcos is a small settlement belonging to the parish of San Pedro de Rocas, in the municipality of Esgos. It is almost abandoned, although its stone houses remain standing after the loss of population, and even its old paths show marks produced by the passing of carts. Meanwhile, moss gradually covers the locality, undisturbed by footfall.
Several heritage elements can be visited in the village, such as a washhouse, several granaries and a large threshing floor. But the most important is found on its periphery: the Castro de Arcos. On the summit of the hill A Sullía, at an altitude of 889 metres, remain carvings in the rock, the paving of the entrance and the so-called Mesa dos Mouros or "blacksmith's table", a carved rock with a flat surface. According to legend, the rocks forming this site were used to build the houses of Arcos.
According to a study by Professor Antonio G. Rodicio, this place could have been the legendary Castle of Litoria. His hypothesis is based on ancient writings describing the route to the Monastery of Santo Estevo, mentioning a fortress at a key point on the road that linked Ourense with Astorga. The coincidence between the description of the geographical features and the location of the castro reinforces this theory.
The name Arcos could have a pre-Indo-European origin, as arco or arc was used to indicate defence or protection. This accords with the existence of the nearby castro and the breadth of the views from this area, where one can see as far as Ourense.