An ''hórreo'' is a typical
granary
A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...
from the northwest of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
(
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensiv ...
,
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
, where it might be called a Galician granary, and
Northern Portugal), built in wood or stone, raised from the ground (to keep rodents out) by pillars ( in
Asturian, ''pegoyos'' in
Cantabrian, in
Galician, in
Portuguese, in
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
) ending in flat
staddle stones
Staddle stones (variations include steddle stones) were originally used as supporting bases for granaries, hayricks, game larders, etc. The staddle stones lifted the granaries above the ground thereby protecting the stored grain from vermin and wa ...
(''vira-ratos'' in Galician, ''mueles'' or ''tornarratos'' in Asturian, or ''zubiluzea'' in Basque) to prevent access by
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
s. Ventilation is allowed by the slits in its walls.
Names
In some areas, ''hórreos'' are known as ''horriu'', (
Asturian), (
Leonese), (
Cantabrian), ''hórreo'', ''paneira'', ''canastro'', ''piorno'', ''cabazo'' (
Galician), , , , (
Portuguese), , , (
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
).
Distribution
''Hórreos'' are mainly found in the Northwest of Spain (
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
and
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensiv ...
) and
Northern Portugal. There are two main types of ''hórreo'',
rectangular
In Euclidean plane geometry, a rectangle is a quadrilateral with four right angles. It can also be defined as: an equiangular quadrilateral, since equiangular means that all of its angles are equal (360°/4 = 90°); or a parallelogram containin ...
-shaped, the more extended, usually found in Galicia and coastal areas of Asturias; and
square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...
-shaped ''hórreos'' from
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensiv ...
,
León, western
Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...
and eastern
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
.
Origins
The oldest document containing an image of an ''hórreo'' is the ''
Cantigas de Santa Maria
The ''Cantigas de Santa Maria'' (, ; "Canticles of Holy Mary") are 420 poems with musical notation, written in the medieval Galician-Portuguese language during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile ''El Sabio'' (1221–1284). Traditionally, they a ...
'' by
Alfonso X "El Sabio" (song CLXXXVII) from the 13th century. In this depiction, three rectangular ''hórreos'' of gothic style are illustrated.
[Hórreo: granary (Spain), in ''Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World'' (Paul Oliver ed.), Vol. 1, Theories and Principles, pp. 713-714: "Not until the 13th century, in the 'Cantigas' of Alfonso X, was there confirmation of buildings that were morphologically similar to the basic Galician hórreos."]
Types
There are several types of Asturian ''hórreo'', according to the characteristics of the roof (
thatched
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...
,
tile
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or ...
d, slate, pitched or double pitched), the materials used for the pillars or the decoration. The oldest still standing date from the 15th century, and even nowadays they are built ex novo. There are an estimated 18,000 ''hórreos'' and ''paneras'' in Asturias, some are poorly preserved but there is a growing awareness from owners and authorities to maintain them in good shape.
The longest ''hórreo'' in Galicia is located in
Carnota
Carnota is a municipality of northwestern Spain in the province of A Coruña, autonomous community of Galicia. It belongs to the comarca of Muros. It has an area of 66.4 km2, a population of 5,285 (2004 estimate) and a population density ...
,
A Coruña
A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and ...
, and is 35 m long.
Other similar granary structures include
Asturian ''paneras'' (basically, big ''hórreos'' with more than four pillars), ''cabaceiras'' (Galician round basketwork ''hórreo''), ''trojes'' or in
Castile or silos.
File:Horrero.JPG, A Galician '' hórreo''.
File:Carnota 084.JPG, ''Hórreo'' of Carnota
Carnota is a municipality of northwestern Spain in the province of A Coruña, autonomous community of Galicia. It belongs to the comarca of Muros. It has an area of 66.4 km2, a population of 5,285 (2004 estimate) and a population density ...
, Galicia.
File:Horreo en Cosgaya, Cantabria.jpg, ''Hórreo'' from Cosgaya
Cosgaya is a Spanish town in the municipality of Camaleño, situated in the comarca of Liébana, located in the furthermost area to the west of Cantabria. The town lies on the right bank of the Deva River. In 2006 it had a population of 47 (INE
I ...
, Cantabria.
File:Hórreo tipo asturiano, O Piornedo.jpg, ''Hórreo'' from Piornedo, Galicia.
File:Hórreo da reitoral de Bealo, Boiro.jpg, Corn cobs inside an ''hórreo'', Boiro
Boiro is a municipality in the province of A Coruña in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is located in the comarca of Barbanza. Boiro has an area of 86.58 km2.
Boiro was where the controversial assisted suicide o ...
, Galicia.
File:Horreodefonseca.jpg, ''Hórreo'' from Siero, Asturias.
File:Pegollo horreo eiros.jpg, Stone pillar (''pegollo'') standing on a footing stone (''pilpayo'') and capped with a staddle stone (''muela'').
Image:Staddle stones, Somerset Rural Life Museum.jpg, Building sitting on staddle stones, at the Somerset Rural Life Museum
The Somerset Rural Life Museum is situated in Glastonbury, Somerset, UK. It is a museum of the social and agricultural history of Somerset, housed in buildings surrounding a 14th-century barn once belonging to Glastonbury Abbey.
It was used fo ...
, similar to Iberian hórreos.
File:Hórreo Ortoño.jpg, Decorated granary in Ames.
File:Hórreo e prensa para facer sidra. Pazo da Hermida. Dodro.jpg, Brick granary in Dodro
Dodro is a municipality of northwestern Spain in the province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is located along with lower reaches and at the mouth of the Ulla river, which is a continuation of the Ría de Arosa
A ...
.
File:Hórreos de Combarro.jpg, Granary set in .
File:Soajo - Espigueiros.JPG, Stone granary in Portuguese .
File:Hórreo de Carnota.jpg, Alvenary granary over pillars in .
File:Horreo de Lira, Carnota.jpg, Alvenary granary over pillars and slab in .
File:Hórreo do Araño.jpg, Alvenary granary over barn in Rianxo
Rianxo is a port town and municipality in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain in the province of A Coruña. It has a population of a little over 15,000 and its two main industries are fishing and tourism. The town's yearly c ...
.
File:Oroso hórreo.jpg, Mixed granary over masonry strains in Oroso
Oroso is a municipality of northwestern Spain in the province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia ...
.
File:Ponteulla Vedra Galicia 12.jpg, Wooden granary over masonry strains in Vedra.
Hórreo-like granaries in Europe
Similar granaries were common throughout
Atlantic Europe
Atlantic Europe is a geographical term for the western portion of Europe which borders the Atlantic Ocean. The term may refer to the idea of Atlantic Europe as a cultural unit and/or as a biogeographical region.
It comprises the Atlantic Isles ...
: Northwest Iberian Peninsula,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...
,
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...
.
There are ''espigueiros'' or ''canastros'' in northern
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
(the most famous concentration is located in
Soajo).
French
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Sa ...
has its ''regard'', also encountered in the Swiss
Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...
(''
raccard
Raccards are traditional granaries that can be found in parts of the Minho, north of Portugal (called Espigueiro), in Galicia and Asturias, north-west of Spain, Swiss Alps (usually in Valais) and in the Italian Alps (in the Lys Valley and i ...
'') and the Italian
Aosta Valley
, Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official languages
, population_blank1 = Italian French
...
(''rascard'').
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
has its ''stabbur'',
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
its ''härbre'' or more precisely ''stolphärbre'' or . ''
Hambar
A hambar Aromanian: ''ambare'', Bulgarian: ''хамбар (hambar)'' Danube Swabian German: ''hambar'', Hungarian: ''hombár'', Romanian: ''hambar'' or ''pătul'', Russian: ''амбар (ambar)'', Serbian: ''ambar/амбар'' or ''čardak/� ...
s'' are found in the Balkans, and ''serender'' in northern
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
.
Similar buildings (
barn
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Alle ...
s) on staddle stones are found in Southern England.
File:Soajo - Espigueiros.JPG, ''Espigueiros'' from Arcos de Valdevez
Arcos de Valdevez () is a municipality along the northern frontier of Portugal and Galicia (Spain). The population in 2011 was 22,847,[Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...]
File:Raccard.JPG, ''Raccard
Raccards are traditional granaries that can be found in parts of the Minho, north of Portugal (called Espigueiro), in Galicia and Asturias, north-west of Spain, Swiss Alps (usually in Valais) and in the Italian Alps (in the Lys Valley and i ...
s'' in Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...
, Switzerland
File:Bautahaugen Samlinger, Bergsrud.jpg, ''Stabbur'' originally from Bergsrud in Sør-Aurdal
Sør-Aurdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bagn. Other villages in the municipality include Begna, Hedalen, a ...
, Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
later relocated to the Bautahaugen Samlinger
Image:Ambar 1.jpg, Ambar from 1888 in Banovci, Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capi ...
during winter
Image:Ambar 2.jpg, Ambar from 1888 in Banovci, Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capi ...
during summer
See also
*
Raccard
Raccards are traditional granaries that can be found in parts of the Minho, north of Portugal (called Espigueiro), in Galicia and Asturias, north-west of Spain, Swiss Alps (usually in Valais) and in the Italian Alps (in the Lys Valley and i ...
*
Hambar
A hambar Aromanian: ''ambare'', Bulgarian: ''хамбар (hambar)'' Danube Swabian German: ''hambar'', Hungarian: ''hombár'', Romanian: ''hambar'' or ''pătul'', Russian: ''амбар (ambar)'', Serbian: ''ambar/амбар'' or ''čardak/� ...
*
Horreum
*
Corn crib
A corn crib or corncrib is a type of granary used to dry and store corn. It may also be known as a cornhouse or corn house.
Overview
After the harvest and while still on the cob, corn is placed in the crib either with or without the husk. Th ...
References
External links
Hórreo de CarnotaAsturian HórreoGalician hórreos*
:es:Archivo:Santa fe navarra horreo jpg
Nice collection of images of horreos.Large collection of images of staddle stones/pillars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horreo
Buildings and structures in Asturias
Buildings and structures in Galicia (Spain)
Buildings and structures in Cantabria
Architecture in Spain
Granaries
Food storage