The names of Rosalia de Castro and Camilo Jose Cela are foerver connected to Padron, a small town in the western part of Galicia between Pontevedra and Santiago de Compostela. Visiting Rosalia´s home, which today is a well kept museum, evokes the spirit of her times, the inspiration to her poetry and, at the same time, conveys a vivid picture of the simplicity and comparative poverty of Galicia´s country dwellers in the 19th century.
Biography of Rosalia de Castro
The odds were against her right from the start. Born in 1837 near Santiago de Compostela, Rosalia was the illegitimate daughter of a minor noblewoman and a catholic priest. From birth, she had to fight against the double stigma of being born out of wedlock and being a sacrilegious child because of her father who never acknowledged or had any contact with her.
Raised by an aunt, she managed to get a good eduction at a convent, where she excelled in art and literature, but they lived in bitter poverty. It is said that Rosalia wrote her first poem at the age of 12. Subsequently, she meandered to Madrid, where she moved in literary circles and was encouraged to write more poetry. Rosalia wrote in both Castellano and Gallego.
She met her husband, Manuel Murguia, a journalist and historian, who greatly encouraged and edited her work. They had seven children of which only five survived. None of them however had any children of their own which is why today there are no living direct descendants of Rosalia de Castro.
She is considered the most prominent poet of the Galician romantic movement and her poetry is permeated with `saudade`, a Galician word for a mixture of longing, sadness and melancholy which cannot be properly translated. Her most popular work in Spanish is "En las orillas de Sar", published in 1884, just a year before her death and "Follas Novas" in Galician, a poetry collection published in 1880.
Recognition did not really come in her lifetime. Rosalia and her husband moved to Padron and lived in the Casa de Matanza, which is today the museum, where she died in of cancer in 1885.
Rosalia Museum in Padron/GaliciaIf not traveling by car, Padron is best reached by train from either Santiago de Compostela or Pontevedra. The house, garden and museum is just opposite the train station and reached by crossing the rails.
Opening hours are in winter from 10.00 - 13.30 and from 16.00 - 19.00, in summer from 10.00 - 14.00 and from 16.00 - 20.00. Sundays and bank holidays: 10.00 - 13.30. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is €2. A small leaflet is available at the reception desk free of charge. A collection of poems can be purchased at about €5.
The first thing to admire when entering the compound are the extensive and well kept gardens, full of trees and camelias, Rosalia´s favorite flower, as well as being the signature flower of Galicia. The ground floor houses an exhibition and display of the many awards and recognitions the poet has received from all over the world.
It gets really interesting on the first floor which contains the living quarters. Bedroom, a closet with some of her clothes still in it, salon, her study and a very simple and basic kitchen give the impression, that the owner has just nipped out to the shops. It´s the kind of museum, that allows the visitor to get really close to the exhibits and inspires the imagination.
More Sights of Padron
After a visit to the museum, it´s well worth to take a stroll around the village of Padron which has even more to offer. First there is a beautiful Botanical Garden with exotic and local trees, plants and above all, a variety of camelias. The camelia was Rosalia´s favorite flower and is also the signature flower of Galicia.
Next, a visit to the Camilo Jose Cela Foundation is recommended. The nobel prize winner created the foundation to promote and sponsor Galicia´s art and culture and the Gallego language. In the times of Franco anything Galician was prohibited, but the language has seen a revival ever since.
Cobbled streets, old stone houses, fountains and churches round out a visit to a very typical, small village in Galicia.
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