Viveiro
Viveiro is a municipality of the Lugo province in Spain. It is located at the foot of the estuary (ría de Viveiro). The region has a population of 15,379 (as of 2003) and covers 109 km².
Tourism Viveiro's economy is dedicated to fishing and tourism. It has a lovely maritime esplanade of glass-enclosed façades and a historical medieval church, which combines Romanesque and Gothic elements.
History
Since pre-Roman times Viveiro has been a rich enclave. Since 1112 it has been administered by Mondoñedo Bishop. In 1346 King Afonso IX declared Viveiro a Vila Realenga (royal city), which ultimately freed it from the yoke of the Catholic Church.
Marechal Pardo de Cela was lord of Viveiro until his defeat and execución in Mondoñedo by the allies of Isabel I of Castilla. His daughter, Constanza de Castro, who fought for the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Galicia from her Castle of Caldaloba, is buried in the Convent of San Francisco. The Gramatic College of Viviero was founded in 1553 by Maria Sarmento, the wife of Gomez Perez das Mariñas. This institution of learning provided education for the poor in one of the major cultural centers of the Kingdom of Galicia. In the 19th century the Viveirenses resisted a Napoleonic invation thanks to its medieval defensive system of solid battlemented walls.
Parishes
Boimente, Celeiro, Covas, Chavín, Faro, Galdo, Landrove, Magazos, San Pedro, Valcarria, Vieiro, Viveiro
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