The Indiano heritage

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Ribadeo saw an economic, social, and urban boom.

This prosperity was largely due to the returning emigrants from America: the Indianos.

The Indianos invested in industrial and commercial enterprises and sponsored many sociocultural initiatives, making a key contribution towards the modernization of structures and equipment in the town.

When the first wave of emigrants returned around 1870, they built their new residences in a diverse, yet unmistakable, style. The cosmopolitan architecture of the Indianos' mansions stands out among traditional houses, perfectly symbolising the wealth and success they had achieved abroad.

They lived in spacious, comfortable residences, open to the outside, built with new shapes and materials associated with sofistication and urban life. The façades show elegant decoration, and their exuberant gardens have tropical touches. In them you can find palm trees, magnolia trees or camellias, surrounded by ironwork fences, rather than crude walls and gates.

Ribadeo has an extensive Indiano legacy, with over 50 houses, several schools, a graveyard, a market hall, water supply facilities, and the Agricultural Farm School Pedro Murias.

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