Barco de Valdeorras

O Barco lies in the Sil valley of Valdeorras, a district whose name recalls the ancient Gigurri. The Romans mined gold in the region and built the Via Nova between Braga and Astorga through the valley. In the Middle Ages noble families and religious institutions shared authority over these lands, while the fortress of El Castro served as a local seat of jurisdiction. In 1809 guerrillas led by the abbot of Casoyo blocked Marshal Soult's French troops at nearby Sobradelo.