The
hórreo was an indispensable
construction in the rural life in the wet oceanic climate of the northern
Iberian Peninsula. It was particularly abundant in Galicia, Asturias, and León,
where the early arrival of a long, cold, and wet winter forced crops to be harvested
early. Thus, although in different types and under different names, hórreos are found in Galicia, northern
Portugal, Asturias, Léon, Cantabria, the Basque Country, and Navarra. There are
an estimated 30,000 preserved in Galicia, about 10,000 in Asturias, about 400
in León, about 30 in Cantabria, 20 in Navarra, and a few in Basque Country. In
addition, there are an unspecified number of espigueiros in Portugal and also an unknown number of cabazos made of branches in Galicia.
In Galicia, there coexist three basic types of hórreo: the Galician type (also called Galician-Portuguese), the Asturian type, and the hórreo de corres [Spanish: hórreo de varas = hórreo of branches, sticks], less elaborate and which comprise smaller, lighter granaries made of plant materials. Other similar granary structures include Asturian paneras (basically, large hórreos with more than four pillars), cabaceiras (Galician round basketwork hórreos), and trojes or trojs [Spanish for granaries] in Castile. In the northeast of Galicia and western Asturias, it is common to find the Galician and Asturian types in the same place, but with different names.
GALICIAN HÓRREO
The hórreo galego [Galician hórreo] is the most common type. Its use extends throughout Galicia, with the exception of parts of the southeastern border. It is also used without much variation in form in western Asturias and Portugal’s Minho region, where it is known as espigueiro, canastro, or caniço. Sometimes referred to as hórreos in Galician-Portuguese Style, in Spain they are just called Galician hórreos. They are mainly used for storing ears of corn or potatoes. These hórreos may be near the homes of their owners or may be in places where there is a set of hórreos serving a community.
The typical Galician hórreo is a small, rectangular building, 1.5 to 2 m wide, and of variable length. The materials vary according to the area where they are located. The chamber can be all of wood, all of stone (except the door), or consist of a stone structure and a filling of wood (mixed hórreo). In mixed hórreos, the wood (in abundant supply) can be replaced when it deteriorates. Nowadays, hollow brick often replaces the wood in these granaries. The chamber is most commonly made of stone and wood (mixed) or only of wood, supported on pillars or transverse walls of hewed stone topped by stone tornarratos, or on walls of a small room. However, quite common in western Galicia and northern Portugal are hórreos made entirely of stone (granite) from the columns to the walls—including slits for ventilation.
Moutrás – old wooden Galician hórreo (Don Madill).
The
typical Galician hórreo has a gabled
roof (a dúas augas, with two slopes).
The materials covering of the roof can vary: common tile or stone (xisto [shale], also called lousa [slate] in Portugal, or sometimes
granite slabs), sometimes replaced with corrugated steel. The roof is generally
adorned with a finial on one or both ends.
This is a basic description of the most common type found in Galicia. However, since that is where the greatest number of hórreos is located, there is also a greater variety of styles. The Galician type has many subvariants. (See Appendix C. Subtypes of Galician Hórreo: Typological Classification.)
HÓRREA
In the coastal area of Galicia, especially in the far south, there is another sparsely spread variant known as hórrea. It is assumed that this later (20th-century) evolution of the hórreo developed in order to take more substantial income in kind or, more recently, increased agricultural production resulting from the mechanization of agriculture and the use of chemical fertilizers.
The hórrea is not very lavish and is barely known, perhaps because of its strong similarities in form to the hórreo. It differs from the hórreo mostly in size and capacity, especially given the increased space between the side walls. This formal peculiarity creates the need to introduce variations in the support elements, which in this case are trios of feet instead of pairs, or transverse walls, or the most common solution, celeiros corridos [corridor barns]. Inside, the hórrea may be split into several chambers, distributed along a central corridor.
The hórrea of the Mosteiro de San Xoán de Poio (Convent of San Juan de Poyo), in the Galician province of Pontevedra, has the largest capacity; it has an interior volume of 123.25 cubic meters and is supported by 51 feet (17 rows of 3).
Hórrea
of Mosteiro de San Xoán de Poio (es.wikipedia.org).
ASTURIAN HÓRREO
Asturian hórreos (and paneras), with some branches in border regions, have a dubious origin that can be traced to the Roman Empire. Some believe that the gigantic wooden crates carried on wheels to the Roman camps in the campaigns of the imperial conquest were often abandoned and exploited by the locals, who placed them on supports for use as warehouses.
The oldest Asturian hórreos still standing date from the 15th century, and even those have been rebuilt nowadays. The number of hórreos in Asturias grew during the Renaissance. In the 17th century, a new form called the panera developed, with 6 or more pillars and a rectangular shape. In the 18th century, the new hórreos and paneras started to have a balcony around them, called the corredor.
Thus, there are two basic types of granaries in Asturias. The most widespread of them is the classic Asturian hórreo, called hórrio, horru, or horro in Asturian. This was originally used exclusively by the wealthier classes, but proliferated from the Renaissance era, due to increased agricultural production. From that classic hórreo developed the second type, the panera. However, there is also a third type, called cabazo, a typical granary in the westernmost area of Asturias.
Classic Asturian
Hórreo
The hórreos of the Asturian type are not found exclusively in Asturias; they are also found in Galicia, Cantabria, and León. In the areas of the Sierra del Caurel (Serra do Courel in Galego) mountain range in the southeast of the Galician province of Lugo, the Asturian type of hórreo is the most used, sometimes covered with rye straw and usually small. Some Asturian hórreos are also found across the border in the mountains of eastern Galicia. In the border area, they coexist with Galician hórreos, including those of the Ribadeo and Mondoñedo types, sometimes generating mixed forms.
The
Asturian hórreo is more spacious than
the Galician type. This is due primarily to having a chamber that is
quadrangular (square) rather than rectangular. The chamber is predominantly
built of wood (oak or chestnut), may include an exterior corredor [balcony, gallery], and is supported on four feet or
pillars, called pegollos. The
covering of the pyramidal roof of four slopes may vary among straw, slate, or,
most commonly, tile; this gives it an appearance similar to a house. The
position or materials of the pillars, those of the roof, and other details may
vary depending on the area.
The parts are basically the same as for hórreos of the Galician-Portuguese style. One difference is that, especially in western Asturias, they may have an area called the corredor [gallery, balcony] external to the chamber that is also used for drying and storage of agricultural products. The addition of the gallery was a change caused by the intensive production of corn, but it may be ornate and gives the hórreo additional beauty. Like the Galician-Portuguese hórreos, the Asturian types have openings in their walls for ventilation, but these openings are small windows rather than slots. The sides of the chamber are made of vertical boards. There is a certain direction for positioning the hórreo, which is usually facing east or south, since winds and rain in the colder months are more intense from the north and west.
Some
Asturian hórreos with small pillars
may be elevated on walls, forming an enclosure or room below. Some hórreos are placed on top of a house or
other building; then the stairs may be inside and the feet may be replaced by a
protruding portion.
Asturian
hórreos can be classified into three main subdivisions, according to
the characteristics of the roof (thatched, tiled, slate, gabled, and hipped),
the material used for the pillars, or the decoration:
1)
The classic square hórreo, the most
common in the region, with pegollos
[pillars or columns] of wood or stone and tile roof, nestled in the center of
eastern Asturias.
2)
The hórreo with a slate roof and
flagstone or slate pegollos, found in
areas of the west, from Luarca to Galicia.
3)
The hórreo with wood or stone pegollos, but with a thatched roof,
which is found only in mountainous areas of Leitariegos, Degaña, and Somiedo.
What
all these subtypes have in common is that they are always quadrangular
(square).
However, it is possible to find rectangular buildings that look like the Asturian hórreos but are not. The classic Asturian hórreos are always supported by four columns and square. If they are rectangular and are supported by more columns, they are called panera. The corredor cited as a component part of many Asturian hórreos appears in all paneras, with the claim that it was actually an element of paneras that was transferred to the hórreos. Another variant that was acquired over time was to be constructed atop other buildings, or having a closed bottom. In these cases, they may even be called hórreos but are not considered classic hórreos of cultural interest and protected by law.
Asturian hórreo from the early 16th century with some more modern additions
– ears of corn on floor of corredor
(probably added later); unusually, it has 2 stone staircases, the one at left
of more recent construction; it also shows very modern uses for the area below,
including a clothesline between 2 wooden legs, a basketball goal on one of the
heavy beams, a fire extinguisher on another leg, and patio furniture in its
shade (www.territoriomuseo.com).
Panera
The second basic type is the panera [breadbasket]. The paneras usually have a corredor [balcony, gallery] with balustrades on one or more sides the chamber. This provides additional space for drying and storing corn. While most corredores on paneras are rather simple, some can be quite ornate.
However, the most fundamental difference between the hórreo and the panera is in internal capacity. The panera is an evolution of the hórreo, with greater size and augmented longitudinally so that it is substantially rectangular. This modification requires an increase in pegollos [legs] from 4 of the hórreo to 6 or more for a panera. The size of the central core (chamber) of the panera increases about 3 meters in relation to the hórreo. A common measure can be 8 meters for paneras of 6 pegollos, which is the most common in Asturias. That can be increased by another 2 or 3 meters for each additional pair of pegollos. Paneras can have 8, 10, or up to 12 pegollos. An exceptional case is the panera in Pen, largest in Asturias, with 14 pegollos.
Asturian panera in Pola de Lena with 8 legs and corredor on one side above stone building (es.wikipedia.org).
Sometimes, the panera, on its 6 or more legs, may sit atop a stone enclosure or building.
Asturian panera
with corredor and 8 legs above stone
building (www.asturiasparadisfrutar.es).
The
elongation of the chamber also necessitates a change in the roof. While it
still has 4 slopes (hipped), it is topped with a ridge beam and may have a
finial (obispo) at each end of the
beam. The roof is covered in tile in the center of eastern Asturias and slate
in the west.
Cabazo
In addition to the two main types (Asturian hórreo and panera), there is a third type, although not as widespread. The cabazo is a typical hórreo in the westernmost area of Asturias, especially in Taramindi. The Asturian cabazo is rectangular, supported on high transverse walls, and is accessed via a stone staircase. It has a roof of 4 slopes (hipped), typically covered with slate and with a ridge beam across the top.
In
places like the Concejo [municipality] de Taramindi (aka Taramundi), the cabazo coexists with the Asturian hórreo, as well as the Galician hórreo of the square Mondoñedo type. In
that concejo, there are neither paneras nor hórreos with a corredor
(except one in the capital).
Wood
Construction
The Asturian hórreo and the panera are built of wood without using any metal nails or screws, only wooden pegs or wedges and tongue-and-groove carpenterwork.
The only material used is wood, except for the pegollos [pillars, legs] (which may be either wood or stone), pilpayos [the flat stones on which the pegollos rest], and roof covering. Oak and chestnut are the first preference for the wood used in construction, because they offer better durability and preservation against inclement weather. One of the most interesting features of the hórreo is that no nails or other iron elements are ever used for joining the parts. In some cases, wooden tornos or nails (pegs) are used to reinforce some joints; such tornos commonly have a hexagonal head and have a length of 6 cm at their wooden tip. One can tell the age of hórreos, in part, by the way in which the tornos are embedded in the beams. In hórreos more than a century old, the colondras or tolondras [vertical wooden boards that make up the walls of the chamber] are assembled by small espigos [spikes] that penetrate into holes that are spaced and made to measure. In the most modern hórreos, a continuous slot is made in the beams at the tops and bottoms of the walls, and the entire colondra penetrates into the slots. Each colondra is attached to the one next to it using tongue-and-groove carpentry.
One of the most unique and characteristic properties of the Asturian hórreo is its “mobility.” It can offer this advantage because its construction does not involve iron or other bonding materials such as lime. It disassembles easily and quickly, and can be moved from one place to another and easily reassembled. Therefore, an hórreo can be sold apart from the land on which it is built. Asturian hórreos and paneras can be considered the first prefabricated buildings.
Corredores
The corredores [galleries, balconies, porches with balustrades (literally corridors)] are more typical of the panera; the classic Asturian hórreo does not normally have one, although it may be present in certain places, particularly in the west. In those cases, the corredor is almost never as rich as that of the panera, but in most cases offers railings and balustrades of great artistic value. The corredores of paneras are simple, often with balustrades of tables and almost always arise on only one or two sides of the building. One always gets the impression that they were added long after the rest of the building and appear to be a reform made later after the expanded use of the hórreo.
The original reason for adding a corredor around the sides of the chamber was to provide an additional area for drying of corn. The balustrades and the space under the roof of the corredor can be used for that purpose. The corn is usually hung in bunches of ears. The roof of the hórreo extends over the corredor, forming a covered porch. Sometimes, the corredor has vertical boards on one side or on several to protect it from rain.
Supports
The Asturian hórreo or panera rests on pillars or legs called pegollos, (singular pegollu) or pegoyos (singular pegoyu) in Asturian. These are what are known in Galicia as esteos. The Asturian hórreo always has 4 pegollos, while a panera has 6 or more.
The pegollos are built to wood, stone, or masonry. Although the choice of materials is not clearly proven, one might think that it is easier for farmers to use wood in areas close to the mountains, where there are large forests of chestnut and oak, while stone is possibly a cheaper material on the coast. Indeed, limestone is commonly used in the interior of Asturias, sandstone on the coast, and wood in other areas where stone is hard to get. Stone pegollos are a harder material and are therefore more difficult to carve and have little variation in their structure. Wooden ones, on the other hand, offer some differences on the edges that often have a flat vertical cut, which gives a certain grace to its structural line. Some of them are also sometimes almost cylindrical in shape, almost taking the shape of the cut tree and a convenient size to avoid later manipulations.
In the western part of Asturias, pegollos tend to be semi-conical and are built with stones or slate slabs, conveniently coated with various masonry materials. The diameter at the top is usually similar to those in the eastern part, but there is variation at the bottom, which is sometimes 30-45 cm or more in diameter, so that the pegollu seems more robust. However the major reason for this shape is that the masonry pegollos are built from the bottom up, placing one stone or flagstone on another to give more strength; so the base has to be very large, and the diameter decreases toward the top.
The shape and dimensions of pegollos in the central and eastern areas of Asturias differ very little. The vast majority are shaped like a truncated four-sided pyramid, cut down at the top, at their junction with the muelas (Asturian for tornarratos) and increasing in size from top to bottom. They are usually 17-20 cm in diameter at the top and 25-30 cm at the bottom.
The
pegollos rest on flat stones (or a
group of stones) called pilpayos
(singular pilpayu), usually
quadrangular, partially dug into the ground. These are to avoid the rising of
moisture, since in many cases the pegollos
are wooden. They also help correct for the unevenness of the ground, since the hórreo may be located on a slope. Also,
they can prevent this kind of hórreo
from sinking into the ground, because the structure is extremely heavy,
especially when many kilos of goods are stored inside.
Atop the pegoyos are flat slate stones called muelas (literally, grindstones, Asturian for tornarratos), to prevent mice from entering the chamber. The name muelas comes from the ancient custom of reusing old grindstones for the construction of hórreos. Even in Asturian, however, these are sometimes called tornarratas (close to the Galician term). The muelas may be circular or quadrangular.
Roof
Within Asturias, one can distinguish hórreos and paneras depending on the area. Roof materials may vary among straw, slate, or, most commonly, tile. The material depends on a geographic distribution throughout Asturias. In the central and eastern part, they are covered with Arabic (curved) tile. Even within that large area, there are certain areas that use flagstone. In the mountainous interior, in the western third of Asturias (including Somiedo), and especially in the northwest, they are covered by slate. In a very small area on the mountainous southwestern fringe, roofs may be thatched, covered with vegetation—broom or rye straw—which has to be replaced every 5 to 15 years.
The union of the four slopes of a pyramidal tile or slate roof may be crowned with a stone finial commonly called the obispo [bishop, perhaps because it is sometimes shaped like a bishop’s miter], but sometimes moño, chignon, or cantapaxarin. This is usually a pointed stone resting on another horizontal one. However, there are various shapes and patterns (including spike and pyramidal), depending primarily on the material used to cover the roof. (On a panera, there could be two of these, one at each end of the ridge beam.)
Asturian hórreo with obispo atop tile roof in Sietes, municipality of Villaviciosa, Asturias (en.wikipedia.org).
Asturian panera in Rubiano with 2 obispos atop ridge beam of tile roof (es.wikipedia.org).
Some hórreos in Asturias feature thatched roofs, influenced by the Asturian cabazo. In the mountains on the western border of León and just across that border in Galicia, hórreos of the Asturian type may have thatched roofs, influenced by the primitive Celtic dwelling known as palloza.
Asturian hórreo with thatched roof and wooden legs in O Piornedo, Lugo province, Galicia (en.wikipedia.org).
The vegetation used for thatched roofs may be of rye, broom, heather, or carquesa [common name of Genista tridentata, a member of the broom family]).
Access
The single door is usually south-oriented. The staircase (called subidoria in Asturian) leading to the door is usually made of stone, and there is a large gap between the top of the stairs and the floor of the hórreo, to keep rodents from jumping across. In front of the door, there may be a footstep (called tenobia or tenovia) attached to the side of the wooden beam on which the chamber rests.
Asturian hórreo, with ornate corredor and rarely seen wooden staircase, in Villar de Huergo (Piloña) (www.flickr.com).
The door itself and the colondras (vertical boards) at its sides are sometimes decorated with Celtic carvings or drawings.
Decorations
Hórreos and paneras, perhaps more of the latter due to their larger size, may have inscriptions, sometimes curious, carved in wood and/or painted. In these, the owners often refer to dates, names of owners, phrases, or dedications to God or the Virgin. The latter inscriptions are a way of demonstrating their faith or perhaps invoking protection for their crops.
Designs
made on the sides of the chamber may be superficial or perforated, taking
advantage of their holes to provide ventilation. One often sees suns, swastikas,
chalices, and floral or geometric motifs. Also common are ancient Celtic
symbols.
Strange designs carved or painted in bright colors on the liños [singular liñu, beam, especially the upper beam between the walls and the roof] or colondras [vertical boards of chamber walls] are most common in Asturian hórreos of the Villaviciosa style, found in the central third of Asturias, between the rivers Sella and Pigüeña. The geometric patterns (used since the 15th and 16th centuries) may have been inspired by the Roman presence in the area but are more likely from pre-Roman times. The most common are 6-petal rosettes, radial, isolated semicircles, and crosslinked series of triangles and squares. This décor is mainly concentrated in the liños but can also extend to the colondras.
Asturian hórreo of Villaviciosa style in El Collau, Valle de Turon - geometric patterns carved on beam over door (www.territoriomuseo.com).
Asturian hórreo of Villaviciosa style - geometric patterns painted on colondras (www.territoriomuseo.com).
The ethnographic wealth of
Asturias also includes broom-thatched huts called cabañas de teito, so abundant in the mountain meadow hamlets or brañas in Somiedo, and also the fact
that some hórreos, especially in
western Asturias, have a thatched roof like some of these cabañas.
A cabaña is a cabin or hut. Teito is an asturleonesa (Asturian-Leonese) word designating any roof of any building made with plant material (thatched). By extension, the name teito is used for the building itself, which could be a house, barn, or granary. The cabaña de teito is made of stone masonry with a thatched roof of broom (which has to be replaced every 15 years). It may be rectangular or square, in some cases with round corners. It can be used as a shelter for livestock and for storage of the needed straw, hay, or fodder. It could also be a shelter for the shepherd or cattle tender. The roof is usually hipped with much inclination. An Asturian teito is closely related to the Galician or Leonese palloza.
A braña, in Asturias or León, is a primitive stone shelter for brañeros [shepherds] and vaqueiros [cattle tenders] in remote mountain grazing areas. In some areas, such as the Concejo de Somiedo in Asturias, brañas at higher elevations became communal property, quite a distance from the valley to which they belonged. At higher elevations, they tend to be circular and covered with stone, but rectangular and covered with broom-thatch at intermediate elevations. In the French Pyrenees, these primitive constructions are called estives or orri, along with buildings called cabanos (similar to the somedano term cabañas in Somiedo).
Sometimes the term braña
is used to refer to a grouping of teitos.
For example, the Braña de La Pornacal, formed by 32 teitos or cabañas, is the
largest and best preserved in Somiedo.
CANTABRIAN HÓRREO
The presence of hórreos in Cantabria is evidenced in documents written in Latin as early as 831, referring to them as horreum or horrea (plural?) between 831 and 921, or as orreos (925-1015), once as horreo (1036), then as horrio or orrio (1065-1272), and finally as hórreo (starting in 1399). Fiscal documents in Spanish refer to the presence of hórreos (then called orreos or orrios) in Cantabria as early as 1083. Today, there are only a few (21) hórreos in the rural valleys of Cantabria, all but 2 of them in the comarca [region] of Liébana, although it is believed that they were present throughout Cantabria in the past.
Like the Asturian, Leonese, and Basque-Navarre types, the Cantabrian hórreo is square. The quadrangular (square) chamber has walls made of wooden planks, resting on four pillars (pegollos or pegoyos) of oak or stone. It is covered with a roof of Moorish tiles, usually gabled (like the Leonese hórreo) but may be in hipped (like the Asturian) some areas. Access to the chamber is by an external staircase. In the Cantabrian mountains, the hórreo is called horriu or hurriu. There is a single surviving specimen of the panera type, similar to the Asturian, distinguished by being rectangular and having six of more pegollos—this one has six. Such granaries were always linked to large homes or monasteries, until they became more widespread in the 16th century.
Hórreo in Cosgaya (Liébana), Cantabria (es.wikipedia.org).
The one surviving panera in Cantabria is in Cades (Herrerías); it has 6 pegollos. In the past, both hórreos and paneras were much more common in Cantabria.
BASQUE HÓRREO
The Basque hórreo is called the garaia (with variants garea, gereixa, and geraya), but is also known in dialect as arnaga. The first documents attesting to the use of Basque hórreos date from the 14th century. These were not constructed after the 15th and 16th centuries, when stone replaced wood.
Gereixa in Baringa, Vizcaya [Biscay] (es.wikipedia.org).
This type of hórreo is rectangular, with a wooden chamber, and supported on 4 to 6 pillars of stone or wood, topped by stone discs called rodeznos (Basque for tornarratos). It has manifold uses and is divided into 3 rooms, without an external gallery (corredor) like that of the Asturian hórreo. However, it does have a little sobrado [overhanging attic, garret]. As in the Leonese hórreo, the roof is gabled (larger hórreos) or hipped (smaller ones). Agricultural changes in the narrow Basque valleys, dedicated to intensive farming rather than grain, encouraged the abandonment of this type of construction.
A typical Basque hórreo is located in the village of Ertzilla, in the municipality of Iurreta, in the province of Vizcaya (Biscay), in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. Its construction dates back to the second half of the 16th century. This type was once very common on the farms of the eastern valleys of Biscay. It is built of oak and supported on four pyramidal sandstone pillars topped by rodeznos. The pieces of wood are fitted together without any metal nails. The watertight walls of the chamber are assembled with tongue-and-groove boards. The stone staircase leading to the door lacks a top step, to prevent animals from climbing in. The small front balcony is used for access to the three compartments (a larger one in the center and two narrower ones on the sides), each of which has a door and lock. Unlike the Asturian hórreos, it has a gabled roof, and there is a small attic under the overhang of the eaves. Besides storing grain (and fruits and meats), these hórreos showed the social status of the family. In the early 19th century, this hórreo fell into disuse, disrepair, and deterioration. It was restored to its original appearance in 1987 using much of the original boards and beams.
NAVARRAN HÓRREO
The hórreos called garaia, in Navarra, are the easternmost of the Iberian Peninsula, the few specimens of Aragonese and Catalan Pyrenees having disappeared. Although hórreos of the Navarran style can be considered a style apart, there are very few of these (only 22 cataloged). These are mostly concentrated in a few villages in the mountains of Navarra, not far from Roncesvalles Pass. (These villages tend to have double names, in Spanish and Basque.) Some rare examples of this same style can be found in the Basque Country.
Experts divide the 22 hórreos cataloged in Navarra into 3 categories:
Hórreos de arcos
de piedra labrada [hórreos over stone
masonry arches (arcades)] are monumental (very large) because they belonged to
the entire community or perhaps the church. The people gave tithes to the
church in the form of agricultural produce, and in hard times (common with the
poor soil of Navarra), the church distributed them back to the people. The most
famous of these is at Iracheta-Iraxeta
in the Valdorba Valley. Another is at Lusarreta-Luzarreta
in Valle de Arce.
Hórreo (garaia) in Lusarreta (es.wikipedia.org). This one has a square shape, with the bottom part almost totally enclosed, used to store farm tools.
The few preserved in Navarra are rectangular buildings with masonry walls over arches (arcades) on the ground floor. These hórreos are built entirely of stone, except for some support beams. They have a gabled roof of two steep slopes, originally covered with slate or ceramic tile. Now they may be covered with wooden shingles or metal sheets. Except for sometimes a small window under the point of the roof, they have no ventilation. A staircase leads to the door.
Hórreos de patio, in the middle
of a courtyard (patio), contain some features of the other two types. They are
quite large, with a roof somewhat steeper than the preceding type, and rest on
as many as 12 separate pillars (called zutabea
here). Although larger, they have the same structure as the Pyrenees type. Like
the other types of hórreo, they can
have stairs (mobile or not) that are separate from the building. They are found
in the courtyard of a church, probably because they were used to store
collected tithes, such as at the Santa
Fe de Baratzagaitz monastery, near Eparoz-Eparotz.
Hórreo (garaia) of Santa Fe de Baratzagaitz monastery in Aezkoa Valley, Navarra - on 12 legs (eu.wikipedia.org).
Hórreos pirenaicos [Pyrenees
hórreos], also called hórreo aezcoano [Lower Navarrese hórreo in Aezkoa-Aexkoa Valley], are
similar to a small house, about 4.5 x 5 m. The walls are of masonry with a door
and in some cases a small window, although many have no windows. They rest on 6
or 8 pillars and have a steep roof. The roof may be of flat tiles or of wooden
shingles (beech or oak), as on other buildings in the area. The separate
staircase and tornarratas serve to
prevent access by rodents. Quite a few had a balcony at the entrance that has
mostly disappeared; it served as access to the chamber and was used for drying.
The interior had separate compartments for grain: wheat, oats, beans, or vetch.
Small hórreo (gariara) in Orbaizeta, Aezkoa (Navarra) – on 8 legs and with a wood shingle roof; stone staircase at left end (eu.wikipedia.org).
LEONESE HÓRREO
The Leonese hórreo is traditionally called horriu, horru, or órriu in the Asturian-Leonese language. At present, about 330 are conserved throughout the province of León, the epicenter of the ancient kingdom. Within the current borders of Castile-León, there are also some of this type in the bordering province of Palencia. Those on four pillars resemble the Asturian hórreo, and those (mostly on the northern slope of the cordillera [mountain ridge]) on more than four resemble the Asturian panera, but in both cases with some distinguishing differences. Most notable, they lack the corredor [gallery, balcony] of their Asturian counterparts. Most are found in two large areas of León, both twinned with Asturian areas that share these traditional constructions.
Western
Mountains
These are usually relatively small hórreos, called orrios here. The chamber made of wood (poplar) is usually square. The roof is generally covered with slate flagstones, but sometimes thatched (called teitu). They usually have four pegollos or pegoyos (pillars) made of oak (unless they are stone), crowned with tornarratos called solaneras. They may have small stone stairs to access the chamber. They differ from those in other areas of León mainly in the roof, which is hipped or conical, depending on the region.
Eastern
Mountains
These are the most basic and possibly the oldest set of hórreos of the Cordillera Cantábrica (Cantabrian Mountains). They are also called hórreos leoneses [Leonese hórreos] and are found in an area that extends past the Sella River into Asturias, there they are called hórreos beyuscos (Los Beyos is a long gorge in the Cordillera Cantábrica). The chamber is square or rectangular and made of wood (chestnut or oak). The chamber often rests on more than four pegollos [pillars]. The pegollos can be of stone or wood and are frequently asymmetrical due to the uneven terrain. The roof, generally tiled, is gabled—this feature is its main difference from the rest of the hórreos of the cordillera [mountain range]; in some cases, the roof has three slopes rather than two. They differ from the Asturian hórreo in that the colondras [boards in the walls of the chamber] are horizontal rather than vertical. In some of them, the chamber is divided into compartments with separate doors. They often have a small stone staircase leading to the door.
Hórreo in Riaño, León with gabled tile roof (es.wikipedia.org).
Hórreos in Prioro, León (es.wikipedia.org).
Hórreo of Lorenzo in San Ignacio with roof of three slopes (www.terriotiromuseo.com).
The one located in Las Bodas (Boñar) is considered the most archaic of its type on the Iberian Peninsula, dating from the 17th century. It is small, built entirely of wood without nails, on several pegollos, and with a gabled roof.
PORTUGUESE HÓRREO
There are also hórreos (called espigueiros or canastros here) in the northern region of Portugal, especially the area bordering Galicia along the Minho (Miño) river, since the people of this region are of Celtic origin, cousins of the Galicians. These espigueiros are similar to the hórreos found farther north, although some have slightly sloping sides. The espigueiros are normally made of stone and wood, although there are some entirely of stone. The ones built entirely of stone are locally called caniços and may be grouped around stone slabs serving as threshing floors. The espigueiro also has many subvariants.
Portuguese espigueiro in Guardão (pt.wikipedia.org).
Espigueiro in Geres, Portugal; mixed masonry and wood (es.wikipedia.org).
The most famous concentration of espigueiros is located in Soajo. Located there is a group of 24, all in stone and based on an outcropping of granite. The oldest dates back to 1782, and some of them are still in use by the local populace.
Portuguese hórreos (espigueiros) in Soajo (pt.wikipedia.org).
HÓRREO-LIKE
GRANARIES IN EUROPE
Similar granaries were common throughout Atlantic Europe: Northwest Iberian Peninsula, France, the British Isles and Scandinavia. French Savoy has its regard, also encountered in the Swiss Valais (raccard) and the Italian Aosta Valley (rascard). Norway has its stabbur, Sweden its häbre or more precisely stolphäbre or stolpbod. Hambars or ambars are found in the Balkans, and serender in northern Turkey.
Swiss raccard (commons.wikimedia.org).
Norwegian stabbur (en.wikipedia.org).
Ambar
from 1888 in Banovci, Croatia in summer (en.wikipedia.org).
