Noya

Noya stands at the inner end of a Galician ría, where rivers meet the sea west of Santiago de Compostela. Ferdinand II established the town in its sheltered position in 1168, after the coast had suffered raids. Its proximity to Santiago helped it serve as a port for the pilgrimage city. In the early fourteenth century the townspeople supported Archbishop Berenguel de Landoria in his struggle with the citizens of Santiago. Noya gained stone walls and the church of Santa María a Nova, while a hospital served the sick and pilgrims. Its harbor became a significant commercial outlet, binding the town to the religious and economic life of its inland neighbor.