History and Heritage of Cortegada

There is no sign or evidence of the Castro culture in Cortegada perhaps due to a lack of studies; however, there are references to the Roman civilization. The Romans called it "Corticata" and several amphorae found in the waters surrounding the island testify to their passage through this place, but there is no evidence to ensure that they had settled here.

It is unknown whether Swabians, Visigoths or Muslims used the Island. The then monarch, King Alfonso II, the Chaste, donated this territory to the Church of Santiago in the 9th century after the discovery of the Sepulchre of the Apostol Santiago. The route established along the River Ulla to transport the Church's "wealth" to Santiago, was a great attraction for the Vikings. They launched continuous attacks from the islands to get the coveted treasure.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, when Galicia was a sea of conflict and the black plague ravaged the countryside, many pilgrims went to the Sanctuary at Cortegada to implore healing from their evils. While the internal struggles continued, pirates and corsairs appeared along the coast in the modern age, but their possible presence in Cortegada is unknown. The Church sponsored the island since 1526 and built a lazaretto hospital for pilgrims.

Settlers on the island built the village next to the pier, as well as, the nearby hermitage and hospital. They ploughed the land and dedicated time specially to grow potatoes and corn, and kept cows, chickens and sheep.

The municipalities of Vilagarcia and Carril that governed the island donated Cortegada to King Alfonso XIII due to the economic decline suffered by the Ría in the 18th century. This gave rise to the reign of the Bourbons, who used it as their summer residence and revitalised the economy in the area. The entire province joined the project and the donation act took place on 19 August 1907, with the reverence of the Royal House, in the Golpilleria (residence of Mr. Quiroga Ballesteros, who had the fiefdom of the island). Seventeen families (about 72 persons) lived on the island at the time. Legal donation procedures were affected because there were many properties of individuals whose assignments were not quite clear. There were talks about constructing a large pazo (manor house) and a drawbridge. The final donation deed of the island was signed in July 1910, in Madrid, but by then the Magdalena Palace, in Santander, was already under construction. The island remained as a depopulated hunting ground for the king, under the supervision of property owners designated by him.

During the republic, the island passed into the hands of the State in 1931 after the exile of the monarchs, and a police force and riot police were destined for custody. In 1958, the Bourbons, with King Juan de Bourbon as the legal heir, recovered the territory. The monarch decided to sell it in 1978 to the real estate company "Cortegada S.A.", which immediately planned its development seeing a great opportunity for tourism.

Defenders of its nature and landscape managed to stop such development and in 2001, the regional government planned to incorporate it into the public heritage. It was included in the Galician Atlantic Islands National Park in 2002, despite it being the private property of "Cortegada S.A.". The island of Cortegada was finally expropriated in 2007and became public property. This event was much celebrated by the people of Carril and Vilagarcia because it commemorated the centenary of their donation.

Click here for more information about the history and culture of the Cortegada archipelago.