The Mysterious Hórreos of Galicia: More Than Just Grain Silos

Walk a few days through Galicia, and you’ll start to notice them, one or two at first...and suddenly they are everywhere!

They rise on stone legs from misty fields and cling to the edges of weathered homes, their narrow bodies and slatted walls perched high above the ground like they’re trying to escape the earth itself. Topped with crosses or spiked finials, and often built from ancient, lichen-covered stone, they look like relics of a forgotten civilization or something far more cryptic.

These are hórreos. And if you’re anything like me or, frankly, like most pilgrims on the Camino, you probably have an entire folder on your phone dedicated to them. You photograph them from every angle, tell yourself this one is especially unique, and then 200 photos later, you're still stopping to capture another.

But what are they, really? And why do they look like ancient tombs?

A Practical Mystery

Despite their otherworldly appearance, hórreos serve a humble, practical purpose. They’re granaries, storage houses for grain, corn, and other crops; designed to keep food dry, aired, and protected from rodents. The entire design is intentional: narrow slots in the walls allow air to circulate, while flat stones atop their stilts act as rodent-blocking platforms (essentially an old-school anti-rat system).

They’ve been around in some form since at least the 15th century, though some historians suggest they have Roman or even pre-Roman roots. Galicia’s damp, Atlantic climate made such structures essential for survival, and today, they’re an iconic symbol of the region’s rural life and architectural ingenuity. [I have actually seen signs of one as far away as Salisbury, England! See Photo On RIght.]

Yet even knowing all this, it’s hard not to be struck by their eerie beauty.

Why Do They Look So...Sacred?

Part of what makes hórreos so captivating is their visual language. Many are topped with stone crosses or pinnacles, giving them the solemn air of a mausoleum. Their long, narrow form, often resembling a coffin on stilts, only adds to the mystery.

It’s no wonder so many pilgrims joke that they look like ancient tombs, or that I’ve heard them called everything from “Galician crypts” to “corn coffins.” I've even referred to them as "mother-in-law apartments", a joke that always gets a chuckle and occasionally a raised eyebrow.

But there’s also something deeply reverent about their placement. Hórreos aren’t hidden away, they're often placed proudly near the family home, like guardians watching over the land. It’s as if they hold not just grain, but memory. Heritage. A way of life that hasn’t disappeared, but simply slowed down.

A Pilgrim's Obsession

For those of us walking the Camino, hórreos become something of a quiet fixation. We don’t plan it. It just happens. The more you see, the more you want to see. Each one is slightly different in age, material, shape, or wear. Some are lovingly maintained, others collapsing into mossy ruins. Some are short and squat, others improbably long, stretching out like time itself.

And there’s something comforting in their repetition. A kind of rhythm, like the crunch of boots on gravel or the ringing of church bells at dawn.

They remind you that the Camino is not just about movement, but about stillness, too. These granaries don’t go anywhere, but they’ve seen everything.

Final Thoughts

So next time you pass a hórreo, and you will, pause. Take the photo, yes. But also take a moment to appreciate what you’re really looking at. Not a tomb, not a mystery box, but a quiet symbol of Galicia’s endurance. An everyday object made beautiful by time, purpose, and patience.

And if you happen to whisper, “That would make an excellent tiny house,” you’re not alone.

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