Temple Votivo del Mar

The great galician architect Antonio Palacios, created here, one of his best projects as far as religious architecture is concerned in all the Southwest of Galicia.
It was inspired by the neighboring visigothic arch that was part of the old church and was absolved from demolition because of its enormous historical value.
Above this and as protecting the arch, the Temple Votivo del Mar was built between 1932 and 1937, which replaced the old parochial church that had become too small. Apparently, Antonio Palacios, did the project for free, so he enjoyed total creative freedom to exploit in this temple all his art and capture in it what was called regionalism. The architect Porriñés only asked in return for the conservation of the aforementioned historical arch. One of his intentions was to capture galician art, but without rejecting great styles such as romanesque or gothic and muslim influences.
He also wanted to offer this work to all the people of the sea and that is why he chose this place that, far from the current tourist interest, was once a beautiful and small village, which has been intimately related to the sea.
In addition, the material used was donated by the neighbors, coming from old buildings and ruins.

The ashlars are irregular granite stones unpolished, as if trying to imitate the old church and much of the galician rural architecture of earlier times.
The plant is of Latin cross and in its facade it is a high tower of 30 m.
This tower was created in the form of a lighthouse, in order for the sailors to locate it and serve as a guide to reach land.
Attached to this and even higher is a cylindrical tower of which we would say that it is a minaret. It is also crowned by the four guardian angels oriented towards the four cardinal points. On the transept there is a vault that resembles the caliphate style of Muslim art. The pointed gothic arches are distributed in all its slopes.


The most negative is the state of conservation of the fantastic stained glass windows and the substantial increase in humidity and leaks that threaten even some images of the interior of the temple.
In cases like the tower, the existence of two huge cracks, put at risk the integrity of this great monument. Its location on a hill, unprotected from the winter whips of the Atlantic, causes this progressive deterioration.


We are facing a work where several types of art and the inspiration of galician history merge, giving shape to a unique, inimitable style, typical of one of the best spanish architects of the 20th century.
The porriñés architect captured his breath by the Val Miñor, and he left us record of it with works such as the Virgin of La Roca, in Baiona, and the villas of Praia América, Nigrán.

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