As we make our ascent by the mountain, approximately four kilometres after leaving Piedrafita, we find the well-known village called O Cebreiro. Climbing as far as here is well worthwhile since, at this high mountain top you understand what peace feels like. It seems like going back in time: we might feel in the Middle Ages staring at the church and the tavern or in old Celtic times as we go into some of its traditional constructions, called pallozas. The present time becomes invisible for some minutes and we don’t even notice it. We enter into a magic world, and this feeling intensifies as we cross the threshold of the sanctuary. A gentle breeze fills our faces with a freshness feeling. We see a little blurred due to the contrast between the brightness from the outside and the pleasant dark of the thick Romanic walls. This is the open door to a new dimension.
We get used to the new situation at once and deeper into the floor plan of the church, whose style reminds us of the Roman basilicas, as it has three floor plans: at the left side there is the San Benito’s altar and that truly makes us think about the time when the Benedictines were at the head of the Church. At the bottom of the Church we can only see a huge Jesus Christ statue and a stone-made altar. These are the only ornament of this part. At this point, we are compelled to meditate about the mystery of Death and Resurrection for a short time. And, at last, we get close to the right nave, slightly more illuminated than the other two, because it is almost filled with lighted candles. This one is the Holy Sacrament chapel. As we look up to the tabernacle, we are able to see the case exposing the chalice and the paten of the Miracle. We can also see the relics, the flesh and the blood of the Miracle, which have been put into two silver vials, offered as a present by the Catholic Monarchs during their stay in the village. There is another important architectural ensemble in a pedestal against the wall of the same nave, which is the sculpture of the Virgin, “Santa María la Real del Cebreiro”. She stands here, near the relics, as a mute witness of the Miracle. Actually, not completely mute since, as the tradition says, she leaned her head to look at the Miracle.
And let’s not forget the huge baptismal font located at the hall of the church. This is the last point of our visit to the Sanctuary.
All these feelings have come to us very fast but, they have been intense enough to arouse our curiosity.
We have just showed you the basics of O Cebreiro’s history, but now we need to know more. That is our aim in the following pages.
José Manuel Castro Alba
A native priest from O Cebreiro