# Ponteareas

Ponteareas is a town and municipality in the province of Pontevedra, in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. It belongs to the comarca of O Condado.
It is located on the Vigo-Benavente highway and on the river Tea, a right-hand tributary of the Miño. It is the chief town of a fertile hilly region, which produces wine, grain and fruit, and contains many cattle farms. The industries of the town itself are porcelain manufactures, tanning and distilling. Close by are the ruins of the Sobroso Castle, which played an important part in the medieval civil wars. While it is located in the nearby town, Mondariz, it is owned by the council of Ponteareas.

## Geography
### Parishes

The municipality of Ponteareas is formed by 24 parroquias (parishes) - rural suburbs of the main town. These parishes can be further subdivided into aldeas (villages) or lugares :
* Areas (Santa María): Agualevada, Alemparte, A Cruz, Ganade, A Gándara, A Lomba, O Peso, O Picoto, San Brais
* Arnoso (San Lourenzo): O Cotarel, O Covelo, A Muxena, A Oliveira, O Outeiriño, O Souto da Presa
* Bugarín (Santa Cristina): Camondes, A Chan, As Eiras, A Freixa, A Gándara, A Porteliña, Queidores, A Quintenla, A Rasela, O Viñal
* Celeiros (San Fins): A Carreira, O Outeiro, O Requeixo, Ribadas, Soutelo
* Cristiñade (San Salvador): O Cribeiro, O Feixoal, A Igrexa, Mesego, O Outeiro, O Paseo, Penela, A Porteliña, Porto, A Pousa, O Puño, Rabadeira, As Raíces, Sequeiros, Soutovidal, A Torre, Urcela, A Xesteira
* Cumiar (Santo Estevo): O Areal de Fontes, O Calvario, Candeira, Carballas, A Coutada, O Cruceiro, As Eiras, A Mo, Santa Cruz
* Fontenla (San Mamede): A Ascensión, Barbáns, O Ceo, Cornedo, A Gaiosa, A Gloria, Novexil, O Picouto, As Rabadeiras
* Fozara (San Bartolomeu): Borraxeiros, A Lomba, Outeiro de Castro, Outeiro Fernando
* Guillade (San Miguel): Aval, Carballede, A Cavadiña, O Eirado, A Encostada, A Igrexa, A Lomba, Mourigade, Pazos, A Pontexil, A Portela, A Rañó, Reimonde, Santa Locaia, A Vigair
* Guláns (San Xulián) : A Abelleira, A Abesoureira, O Aciviñeiro, O Arrabal, O Barreiro, A Barxa, O Casal, A Cima, A Costa da Groba, Costa de Sequeiros, Couso, A Cruz, A Devesa, O Eido Vello, O Lameiro, O Outeiro do Foxo - O Outeiro, O Padrán, Penadouro, O Pereiro, Porto, O Provizo, O Salgueiral, Santa Baia, O Souto, Suaviña, Valiñas
* Moreira (San Martiño): A Amarela, O Calvario, A Cañota, Chan de Espiño, As Covas, A Feira, Macadín, Os Muíños, A Peroxa, O Pontillón, Rañe de Abaixo, Rañe de Arriba, Requeixo, A Ribeira do Río, Sixas, O Soutiño, Urcela, Vilanova
* Nogueira (San Salvador): O Areu, O Castelo, A Costoura, Cruceiras, A Gándara, As Meáns, Monte de Abaixo, A Murxeira, A Nogueira, O Paramo, Pazos, O Rego Alto, O Souto, Torre do Sino
* Santiago de Oliveira (Santiago): A Áspera, A Bouza da Igrexa, O Casal, A Duca, Entrecotos, A Fraga do Rei, A Pedreira, A Portela, A Porteliña, Rabuñade, A Sobreira, Valverde
* San Mateo de Olivera (Santiago): O Agrelo, O Alcázar, O Asperón, O Calandro, A Capela, O Carrascal, A Chan, A Cheira, O Cruceiro, A Cuña, As Godallas, A Manga, O Outeiro, A Pedreira, Penavella, O Piñeiro, Puzo, As Rozas, A Silva, O Val do Eido, Vera, Vilafría
* San Lorenzo de Oliveira (Santiago): As Cabazas, A Camba, As Eiras, Paredes, A Pedreira, Pombeiras, Souto
* Padróns (San Salvador) : Castro, Chan da Gándara, As Cortellas, Maínza, Mouro, A Portela, A Seca, A Serra
* Paredes (San Cibrán): O Picouto, O Ramallal, O Toucedo
* Pías (Santa Mariña): Chans, A Costeliña, Cotobade, A Cruz, A Ermida, A Lenguda, O Outeiro, A Pontacóns, O Souto do Pazo, O Toxo
* Ponteareas (town) (San Miguel): O Areal, O Barral, As Cachadas, Canedo, A Castiñeira, A Curuxeira, Lamazáns, A Moscadeira, O Paseo Matutino, Pedra de Agua, A Perillana, A Ponte dos Remedios, Ponteareas, O Reiro, San Roque, San Vicente, Valoura
* Prado (San Nicolao): O Amial, O Carrascás, A Carrasqueira, O Charco, A Coutada, Os Ferreiros, O Outeiro, A Pardantela, O Pazo, O Souto de Abaixo, O Souto de Arriba
* Ribadetea (San Xurxo): O Aceido, Antela, A Bagañeira, O Barbeito, A Barca, A Barronca, A Barxela, Bernardos, O Cabaleiro, O Canal, Carreira, A Carriza, Os Casás, Os Casquizos, Cillarga, Covas, O Eido do Monte, O Eido Vello, Entreeidos, O Espadanal, O Figueiredo, A Freixa, A Groba, O Igrexario, Lomba do Cruceiro, Mourade, O Outeiro, O Pazo, A Pedra da Bouza, Peitieiras, As Penas, Pereira, O Portal de Dentro, O Porto, A Pousa, Preito, A Rabadeira, O Roupeiro, O Salgueiral, Santa Cruz, O Sobreiro, O Souto, A Tramila, A Videira, Vilares, A Viña Vella
* Xinzo (Santa Mariña): As Balsadas, O Barbeito, A Barreira, Barroselo, Barxelas, A Bergoa, O Borraxeiro, Bouzalonga, Cabreira, A Canella, A Cividá, O Confurco, O Coto, O Eido de Arriba, A Ermida, A Fichoca, Fixón, As Fonteíñas, A Granxa, A Illán, Lamas, O Longaíño, O Moledo, Nando, Parada, O Pereiro, O Picoto, A Portela, O Regote, A Riba, A Rocha, A Rúa, O Sobral, O Souto, A Touza da Vella, Os Valados, A Verdella, A Viña de Lama, A Viña Nova, O Vis

## Government

The municipality of Ponteareas is administered by a mayor-council government, the Concello de Ponteareas, which meets at the Casa Consistorial in the Xardins da Xiralda. Following the local elections of 2023 the municipality is governed by a two-party coalition of the People's Party and ACIP with Nava Castro as Mayoress.
Local election results in Ponteareas :
| Party | 2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 | 2023 |
| People's Party (PP) | 6 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Alternativa Ciudadana de Ponteareas (ACIP) | - | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE-PSdeG) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Independientes Ponteareas (IP) | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Ponteareas en Común (PEC) | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| A Riada do Tea (ARDT) | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| United Left (EU-SON) | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Condado-Paradanta Union (UCPA) | 5 | - | - | - | - |

## Culture
### Festivities
#### Corpus Christi

The religious festival of Corpus Christi is particularly important. Dating back to 1857, it is traditionally celebrated with a procession of the Holy Sacrament along floral carpets laid in the streets. In 1968 the festival was declared a festival of Tourist Interest, in 1980 of National Tourist Interest, and in 2009 of International Tourist Interest, joining other famous Spanish celebrations such as Fallas and the Tomatina.

#### Local holidays

* Día da Picaraña (1 May)
* Virgin of os Remedios on (6 September)
* Saint Michael the Archangel (29 September)

### Music

The town has a conservatory which is named after Reveriano Soutullo, a composer of Zarzuelas.

## Domestic cooperation

Ponteareas cooperates with the Spanish municipalities of Redondela, La Orotava and Monòver.

## Notable people

* Gabino Bugallal, politician (1861–1932)
* Reveriano Soutullo, composer (1884–1932)
* Manuel Domínguez Benavides, writer (1895–1947)
* Fermín Bouza Brey, writer (1901–1973)
* Delio Rodríguez, cyclist (1916–1994)
* Emilio Rodríguez, cyclist (1923–1984)
* Rogelio Groba, composer (1930)
* Silverio Rivas, sculptor (1942)
* Abel Caballero, politician (1946)
* Álvaro Pino, cyclist (1956)
* Juan Carlos Taboas, cyclist (1972)
* Gonzalo Caballero Míguez, politician (1975)