KaleidoScapes

Sustainable Landscapes of Ames: Lapido

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Cultural heritage entities that you can find in the area.

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Shooting Stars
Person or Group
We are Icía, Martina and Lúa and we are going to work with the landscape of Lapido.
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Icía Fernández Ferreiro, Lúa Ardións Liñares, Martina Amigo Armstrong · 21 febrero 2018 17:10


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Wash house
Structure
In Lapido there is a laundry. A few years ago there were frogs and we would take them in containers and let the frogs out in our gardens. Behind the laundry there were trees, but people cut them and the laundry was almost without water. Also, a year ago they put a signal that says you can't drink from there because people contaminated it.
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Ermida da Mercé
Structure
At the top of Lapido there is a chapel where Catholics go to Mass. It has about 100 years. In the back there is a small band stand but isn't used. In winter around it grow mimosas. The saint of this chapel is the "Mercé", therefore the chapel is named "Ermida da Mercé". Also the celebration of the "Mercé" was celebrated, where the people went to Mass, later there was procession and then the people sang and danced while the bands of music played instruments in the band stand (bagpipes, tambourine, etc). There were also "buchinches". "Buchinches" are bars where only drinks are sold. Formerly in the "buchinches" was paid with pesetas and currently with euros. Nowadays, this party is still celebrated but with orchestras and it isn't as important as it was at that time, because now it is like another celebration.
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Lapido's watermill
Structure
In Lapido there is a watermill next to the river Sar. For us it's very important because it's a antiquity (is around 200 years old). Next to this watermill, there are a fountain and a long laundry, where the people washed their clothes when there weren't washing machines. In the watermill there wasn't need to pay because it was from all the neighbors and there were shifts to use it. This watermill was restored about 20 years ago. On the other side of the Sar river there is another watermill that's in ruins. The watermill doesn't have any special name, but they call it Lapido's watermill. The watermill on the inside is divided into two equal parts. You can't visit it because it's closed, but the neighborhood association of Lapido has the key. The corn was ground, a little wheat and sometimes rye. There wasn't any "foliada" but sometimes there were meetings to talk about anything. It stopped using about 30 years ago because the people didn't need grinding.
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The river Sar
Place
The river Sar passes through Lapido. It's very important for the village. We don't like the river pollution because we can't bathe. The river is very wide and when it doesn't rain it has little depth, but when it rains the river fills a lot. More than once the river Sar overflowed and broke the stones that function as fences on the bridge. When we were small the river had little pollution and there were ducks and swans (once even there was an otter), but now they can't habit in it because it's very polluted. The river Sar is born in the parish of Bando (Santiago) and flows into the river Ulla (because it's a tributary) in Padrón. Rosalía de Castro wrote some poems of the river Sar while she lived in Tarroeira. Tarroeira is 300 meters from Lapido. In Lapido there are two bridges that cross the river Sar: one in which the cars pass (because it's a highway) and another one that is pedestrian and that passes near the watermill.
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The pond
Place
Next to the watermill there is a small pond. We discovered it in summer and we liked it very much. The pond is next to some trees that make it a magical place. When it rains a lot, the pond overflows and connects with the river on one side. It has little depth and very few people know it exists, that's why it hasn't got name.
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Lapido's name
Communicative Expression
Lapido comes from the Latin "lapis" meaning stone. We don't find much information about why it has this name, but we assume it's because it was a stony ground. Lapido also exists as a surname in Galicia (In A Coruña there are 250 people, in Lugo there are 40 people and in Pontevedra there are 35 people, according to the information by the IGE)
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The Band stand
Structure
The band stand is next to the chapel "Ermida da Mercé" and was used formerly to play at parties, mainly at the "Mercé" party. The neighbors paid the musicians to them play. The Band stand has a circular shape and on the back it has two stones (one bigger than the other) as the steps ti the banda stand.
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Riddles
Communicative Expression
In Lapido there aren't own riddles, but they are said the same as in all Galicia: "Abriga moito o teu pescozo, cando o frío nos espanta". Answer: scarf. "Papá xa acendeu a estufa. Cando saio vou con gorro. Dime en qué estación estou se moito abrigo me poño". Answer: winter "No aire se cría, no aire se ten, bota unha risada e perde o que ten". Answer: prickly rind "Alta estou, ladrón vexo vir. Do meu carapucho, non podo fuxir". Answer: chestnut

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Living being of Lapido
(any)
In Lapido there are many living beings. When we were small and the river Sar was poorly polluted, there were ducks and even swans. When we walked through Lapido we always saw the ducks in the river or flying and it was beautiful. About 4 years ago, next to the Lapido bridge, we saw an otter! It was small and it hid in some stones that are on the riverbank. Sometimes it left its refuge and put itself on a log that was lying in the middle of the river. We and our neighbors call it "Burbuja" because when it swam it left a trail of bubbles. In the trees of Lapido we often hear the owls, but we never get to see them! In our village there are also frogs, and years ago when the laundry had enough water and when it wasn't contaminated there were frogs and we took them in containers and we let them out through the garden of our houses. Then we always returned them to the laundry so they wouldn't die. It was very funny! Obviously in Lapido there are also birds, butterflies, insects, etc.

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Virginia Armstrong Minetti
Person or Group
Virginia is Martina's mother. She is from Uruguay but she lives in Ortoño for a long time. Virginia is 50 years old. She is our helper to work with the landscape of Lapido.
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Sayings
Communicative Expression
In Lapido there aren´t own sayings, but they are said the same as in all Galicia: -Febreiro curto, cos seus días vinte e oito, se dura máis catro, non queda can nin gato -Outono quente, leva ao demo no ventre -No mes de xaneiro os pes no braseiro

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Xián Ardións Liñares
Person or Group
Xián is the Lúa's brother. He is our helper to work with the landscape of Lapido. He is 19 years old and he is from Lapido.
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Manuel Fernández González
Person or Group
Manuel is the Icía's father. He is our helper to work with the landscape of Lapido. He is 47 years old and he is from A Coruña, but he is living in Ortoño 12 years ago.

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Mª Carmen Liñares Liñares
Person or Group
Mari is the Lúa's mum. She is our helper to work with the landscape of Lapido. She is 50 years old and she is from Cabanas (A Baña) but she lives in Lapido for 10 years.
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Sar riverbank
Place
In Lapido there isn't a forest but there is a riverbank next to the river Sar. In it there are willows, birches and alder trees. The riverbank doesn't have a specific name. When we walk through Lapido, it's very beautiful to see how the trees surround the river.
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The picnic area
Place
Next to the river Sar there is a samall picnic area with tables and stone benches. It's a nice place to be but it's always empty. We and our neighbors sometimes went to talk and even to eat a snack. We had a great time listening to the sound of nature!
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The banana plantation
Place
That are no native species that stands out because it's rare to see it in Galicia and less in a small village as Lapido. These trees were planted by a man who already died and who was the grandfather of a friend of Lúa's brother. The plantain is going up a slope.

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The dovecote
Structure
In Lapido there is a dovecote but it's in a private estate. It was built by the grandfather of a neighbor who is now around 60 years old. The dovecote is in ruins because it's around 80 years old, but it i's very tall and you can see it from almost all Lapido. About 50 years ago it's uninhabited. The dovecate doesn't have a specific name.
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Lapido's park
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The Lapido's park was built about 20 years ago, but 2 years ago everything was removed and it's still that way. According to the building councilor, they are going to divide it according to age zones. In the Lapido's park there is an area with sand (in which before there was a slide, swings, a seesaw, etc) an area without sand for small children (with swings, a smaller slide, etc.) and a football and basketball field. About 15 years ago there was also a zip line in the sand area, but it was removed. When we were little we always went there to play and we had a great time, but now the kids can't go because they removed everything.
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Flora of Lapido
(any)
The main flower that there is in Lapido is the mimosa (Acacia dealbata) because they surround the "Ermida da Mercé" and also there are more in other places of Lapido. When we walk through the village, we always smell the mimosas and it's very nice because they smell very good. The mimosa is an invasive specie from Australia. Around a ruined house on the top of Lapido there are many "Alcandóreas" (Vinca difformis). There are many margaritas in the picnic area. In Lapido there are also some holly trees, so one of the berries of Lapido are the holly balls. Another one of the berries of Lapido are the blackberries because in Lapido there are many blackberries and when it's the time you can pick some blackberries and eat them. In Lapido there are also vines that are used to make wine, but they are from a private estate.
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The cross
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The cross is before the slope to go to the "Ermida da Mercé". It's on a big rock. When there is mass and procession, people go in procession from the chapel to there.
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Fungi and mushroom of Lapido
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In Lapido there aren't many fungi or mushrooms, but there are some like "Peido de Lobo", "Lepiotas" and "Níscalos". In my house they tend to grow many and in Lapido (especially in the picnic area) also grow. The fungi and the mushrooms grow in the autumn.

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The celebration of the "Mercé"
Social Act
In the celebration of the "Mercé" there is mass, then procession until the calvery sculpture and formerly the musicians played in the bandstand and people danced, but now there are orchestras. There were also "buchinches" (they are bars where you only buy drinks). This celebration was very important because it's in honor of Santa Mercedes, but now it isn't so important, however it's still done.

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Songs and dances of Lapido
Communicative Expression
In Lapido there aren't songs and dances of their own, but there are the typical ones of all galicia: "muiñeira", "xota" and "pasodobre".

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Pagan beliefs
Belief
In lapido there were several beliefs, but the best known throughout Galicia are: - "Meigallo", spell or "meigaría" is the work of a "meiga" who enters the body of a person who can cause various diseases and, above all, abnormal behaviors and attitudes of rejection before the religion or its representatives. -"Santa Compaña" is, in the popular mythology of Galicia, a fantastic legend about a procession of souls that runs from twelve o'clock at night for the terms of a parish with the purpose of visiting, or warning, all those houses in which shortly there will be a death.

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The "Chourizo" celebration
Social Act
In the church of Ortoño in the first week of July the celebration of the "chourizos" is celebrated in which spicy pork sousages are cooked with wine and sold quite expensive

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Christmas
Social Act
In Lapido doesn't celebrate Christmas with a common celebration in the village, but the family celebrates it at home by putting the Christmas tree, lights in the garden, eating nougat, "polvoróns", etc.

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Midsummer
Social Act
The patron of the church of Ortoño is "San Xoán", that is why this celebration is very important for Ortoño (and for Lapido, because it is a village of Ortoño). San Xoán is celebrated on June 23 (summer solstice) and in Ortoño there is Mass, procession and then in the party field they make bonfires and people jump them. This celebratio in part is pagan because there was bonfires and this part still survives. However, also have a Catholic part, with mass and procession. This celebration is in the church of "Ortoño". In this celebration the people doesn't eat anything.

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Games of Lapido
Social Act
A popular game of spring that was played formerly in all Galicia and also in Lapido consisted to look for nests of birds that had eggs. The eggs were for any nest of bird that the childreb found. When the children found an egg, they put it on the ground and blindfolded and whoever hit it with a stick first won. An other game that was played in all Galicia is the "Estornela" and consisted it consisted in nailing a stick of about 80cm in the ground and throwing stones to throw it and the one that first throw wins.

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The Lapido's fountain
Structure
In Lapido there is a public fountain that was built 40 years ago but it was reformed 3 or 4 years ago. The water comes from a nearby natural spring and we are always going to get for water there. In the rainy season a lot of water comes out and in summer when there is a drought almost water doesn't come out. The water from the fountain goes to a private laundry that is on the back of the wall where it is.
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Lapido's carnival
Social Act
In Lapido there isn't a special celebration for carnival. Most people celebrate it individually in their homes. Every year we come out dressed up by Lapido to ring houses and ask for money or jellybeans

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The Holy week
Social Act
In Lapido there wasn't special celebration for de Holy week, but each family celebrated at home. The only thing that all the meals had in common was that they didn't eat meat.

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The candlemas
Social Act
A typical celebration of Galicia is the celebration of the candlemas. In each place it's done in a different way, and in Ames (and also in Galicia) what was done was to go out into the evening and illuminate the farms that had just been planted with candlemas so that they had a good harvest and while they doing this they recited a song that we didn't remember. En galego esta festa recibe o nome de "Fachos" e actualmente xa non se celebra en Lapido

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O cruceiro da Capela da Mercé
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O cruceiro é de mediados de século XVIII porque a capela é de 1765. Hai representadas dúas figuras que son Xesucristo e a virxe das Dores. Pénsase que é do mismo escultor que a do cruceiro do Santo, en Ortoño.
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