History
The Pazo de Santa Cruz de Rivadulla, also known as Pazo de Ortigueira, stands sheltered by Pico Sacro in the parish of Santa Cruz de Rivadulla, municipality of Vedra (A Coruña).
The Canon of Santiago Cathedral, Juan Ibáñez de Mondragón, acquired the properties that would become the Pazo de Santa Cruz in the early 16th century — known at the time as the Tower and Manor of Ortigueira.
The Canon and his nephew Cardinal Juan de Mondragón extended the estate, built the chapel, restored the buildings and laid the skeleton of what can be visited today: olive and vine plantations, fountains, ponds, the cascade, the granary and the other buildings.
Andrés Ibáñez de Mondragón commissioned the works to Domingo de Andrade — architect of Santiago Cathedral and a key figure of Galician baroque — who designed the baroque ensemble and the La Coca fountain. Successive improvements over the centuries gave the Pazo its current structure.
Iván Armada y Fernández de Córdoba — known as “el Tío Iván” — transformed the garden, bringing Japanese camellias and exotic plants from all over the world, many of which are now monumental trees. He also began the systematic propagation of camellias that are still exported across Europe today.
Much of today’s romantic garden — winding paths, watercourses and intimate corners — dates from this period.
The garden is home to more than 700 camellia varieties, and in 2020 it was recognised with the Garden of Excellence award by the International Camellia Society (ICS). It is also part of the European Route of Historic Gardens, a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, and holds the highest concentration of officially catalogued singular trees in Spain.
A Jacobean landmark
The Pazo de Santa Cruz de Rivadulla lies just metres from the Portuguese Way of Saint James. The Vedra area, bathed by the river Ulla, has historically been a pilgrim route. This proximity to the Camino adds a unique value to any visit.
Pazo de Santa Cruz de Rivadulla