Xinzo de Limia

Xinzo de Limia
Town andmunicipality
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname: Xinzo
Situation ofXinzo de LimiawithinGalicia
Xinzo de Limia Location in Spain
Coordinates:42°03′39″N7°43′24″W
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Galicia
Province	Ourense
Comarca	A Limia
Government
• Alcalde (Mayor)	Elvira Lama (PSOE)
Population (2018)
• Total	9,836
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CET)
Website	xinzodelimia.es

Xinzo de Limiais a town andmunicipalityin the province ofOurense,in the autonomous community ofGalicia,Spain.It belongs to thecomarcaofA Limia.It lies on the importantAutovia das Rias Baixasin the fertile valley ofAntela,approximately 33 km fromVerínand 43 km fromOurense.TheLímia(Lima inPortuguese) river passes through the town on its way south towards the Portuguese border.

Xinzo is a town of services and an important stopping point on the mainVigo-Madridhighway. There are several small industries, including aglassfactory, and manypig,cowanddairyfarmsin the surrounding area. The drained lakebed of Antela, once Spain's largestfreshwaterlakeuntil the 1950s, producescereals,hay,and especiallypotatoes.Xinzo is in fact one of Spain's largest producers of potatoes.

There is a legend connected to Xinzo. Several classical authors of antiquity reproduce the myth of the loss of memory connected to crossing the Límia River, referred by them as Lethes or Oblivionis (compare the riverLetheofGreek mythology). In 138 BC theRomanchieftainDecimus Junius Brutusput an end to the myth told by the Galicians when, on crossing the river, he began to call each one of his legionnaires by their names from the opposite bank. That historical fact has been now represented in an historical party calledFesta do Esquecemento.Seeing the Límia today it is difficult to imagine this tiny river provoking such a fear.

Xinzo has few monuments but is famous for hosting one of Galicia's most typicalcarnivals.The characteristic figure is thepantalla,which symbolizes the devil. Thepantallais the guardian of thecarnival,and runs through the streets in groups of two or three with two swollenpig bladdersin the hands making huge noise. If thepantallasfinds a male relative or neighbour of Xinzo de Limia not dressed with carnival clothes, they will take him into a bar, to pay the fee for not been dressed properly, which is a glass of wine.

Demography

From:INE Archiv

Notable people

• Carmen Agulló Díaz(born 1957), tenured professor, non-fiction author

External links

• Xinzo de Limia
• Concello de Xinzo de Limia
• Pueblos de Galicia: Xinzo de Limia
• Pictures and many more
• Festa do Esquecemento