Monforte de Lemos

Monforte de Lemos lies beside the River Cabe in inland Galicia. A Benedictine community established itself at San Vicente do Pino, above the town, while Monforte developed as a market for the surrounding agricultural country. In the second half of the fifteenth century the Irmandiño revolt damaged the castle tower and town walls; the Count of Lemos subsequently forced defeated rebels to rebuild the castle. The town also acquired the monumental school of Nosa Señora da Antiga, associated with Cardinal Rodrigo de Castro. The Jesuits managed the school until their expulsion from Spain, after which the Piarists took it over. Castle, monastery and school reflect the long influence of noble and religious institutions in this Galician centre.