THE ROMAN VIA NOVA ON ITS WAY BY AQUIS QUERQUENNIS
Actually, its course through this place was the main reason for the rising of these ancient constructions, today archaeological ruins. As it was already said elsewhere, it set out from Braga and reached Astorga after a course 215 miles, some 300 kilometers, going past ten intermediate mansions known, in order of appearance, as Salaniana; Aquis Ogeresibus, according to ours latest research, Aquis Querquennis; Geminas; Salientibus; Praesidium; Nemetobriga; Forum; Gemestario; Bergidum and Interamnium. The one which belongs to our compound is just Aquis Querquennis, though Aquis Ogeresibus (Lobios) is framed in the Quarquennis territory. A thorough analysis of the route would be irrelevant here as it will have in the near future its own web page. We just want to trace a precise reference that may establish its connection with our digging camp.
The Roman via crossed the river Limia over Pedriña bridge, genuine Roman, some tens of meters north of the current dam wall of As Conchas, being permanently flooded by the waters of the dam. It went on, by the southern poroximity of Hermille, then Os Chaos, where it abandoned the outline of the current road, following eastwards , more or less, the course of the ancient road, up to Portoquintela and O Baño. Unfortunately, however, it must be said that, in spite of the abundant epigraphical rests with it related, there are almost no structural rests all along this stretch. From the mansion of Aquis Querquennis up to Feira Nova, the route stretches by the south of As Maus, crossing the river Cadós over a bridge, today missing, heading through the southern orchards of the village of Nigueiroá, past O Ribeiro and Garabelos along the current tarred road, twisting afterwards, half way, by the slopes of Güín to Ponte Liñares. But even in this second stretch no structural traces are conserved except in the final stretch and along some eight hundred meters, in the shape of a depressed way, with edges of agger, first, and a platform of some width afterwards. Recently it has been done the elementary signaling of the stretch of the road described by the Foundation Aquae Querquennae/Via Nova, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Environment and the Concello of Bande, according to project approved by the Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio of the Xunta de Galicia.