Places of interest in Spain – Ourense

The province Ourense is to the North West of Spain. Like most of the other cities of Spain, Ourense also has a long history dating back to the 5th Century. Historians say that this city was also under the rule of Roman kings. This province receives good rainfall and so it is rich in vegetation. The town overlooks one of the greatest rivers of Spain Minho. Like other places in Spain, there are many places which are of interest in Ourense.

Interestingly, the city of Ourense is divided into three parts depending on the period to which they belong like medieval period, those built in 19th century and those built thereafter. Places of interest in Ourense are discussed here:

Cathedral: According to archeologists’ estimate, this cathedral was built during the 13th century. There is a combination of both Gothic architecture as well as Romanesque architecture. The ‘door of paradise’ is one of the most revered places in this cathedral. Christ’s chapel is another place of religious importance which no visitor will miss.

Ponte vella:
Here also according to archeological investigations the Romans actually laid the foundation for this bridge and for some unknown reasons, no structure was built on it. Archeologists say that in 1230 under the leadership of Bishop Lorenze, a bridge was built on the foundation that was laid by Romans. As this is an old bridge, authorities have stopped movement of vehicles on this bridge. However, tourists are permitted to cross the bridge by foot so that they can enjoy the nature around.

Episcopal palace: According to the estimates of the archeologists, this palace was also constructed centuries ago. The authorities have converted this palace into an archeological museum which has collection of materials of Bronze Age and many collections of painting works by great artists.

Industries:

The industrial development has touched Ourense also and so many industries have been established in this town. Now, this city produces European chestnut in large quantities and it is exported to many European and Asian countries. Textile is another most promising industry of this town. As a matter of fact, the world famous designer Adolfo Dominguez hails from this town.

Old city:

The government of Spain has retained the old city and the buildings which are built using Neo classical, Roman and Gothic architecture. The uniqueness of the buildings here is that most of these buildings have walkways close to the building. This helps the person going by foot so that he can walk close to the building. By this he will get shade.

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