Centro Montevideo

“Long live Arnoia, our land, our beautiful land without rival, shaded by vines from Reza to O Rial…”

This beautiful song became a hymn for the emigrants from Arnoia. Its author, Don Avelino Reibelo, assistant priest of the Church of San Antonio de Remuiño, could not have imagined that this creation of his would cross the Atlantic Ocean with such emotion.

The main migratory current in the first sixty years of the 20th century was towards the Southern Cone: Argentina and Uruguay, where the largest settlements of people from Arnoia are recorded.

After 1950, the flow of our emigration turned towards Venezuela, Mexico and, to a lesser extent, Brazil. As recorded in the archives of the Concello de Arnoia.

Departure overseas to “make one’s fortune in the Americas” declined between 1960 and 1980, while departures to Europe increased.

In America, Venezuela, during this period, ranks second for the arrival of people from Arnoia.

Most of the voyages followed the route: Vigo – Montevideo – Buenos Aires. They always called at Rio de Janeiro as the first port of call. They were impressed by the majesty of the Cerro Corcovado with the imposing figure of Christ the Redeemer, but no less unsettled by the black men they came across as they disembarked at the port. This fact would not surprise any young person or child in present-day Arnoia, where they are more familiar with Black African immigrants. In those days it was not common to see people of another race among us.

After spending a few hours in Rio de Janeiro, they continued their journey to Uruguay. There they were greeted by the Cerro de Montevideo and a crowd of people waving their handkerchiefs in the hope of being recognised. It was the welcome of those who had arrived before. The essential requirement was to be claimed by someone.

Whoever claimed them did so with a “work contract” generally offered by another Galician from Arnoia or from the Province of Ourense.

Many people from Arnoia got their first job in the very Port of Montevideo.

Let us remember that Uruguay, a name left to us by the Guaraní Indians, means “land of the painted birds”. Without a doubt, the beauty of this land, bordered by white-sand beaches and green plains, with excellent cattle and sheep farming, was the “Switzerland of America”.

The person from Arnoia who arrived in Uruguay was introduced as one more member of the family, bringing “fresh news” from our beloved Arnoia.

The people from Arnoia discovered, and many of them, grew accustomed to the ritual of enjoying the yerba mate infusion, alone or in a group. In Uruguay, drinking mate is a social, collective activity. The mate passes from hand to hand and, for centuries, has denoted hospitality. The Galicians and the “tanos” would add sugar to it because they found it very bitter.

The people from Arnoia first gathered in bars near their workplaces to play “the game“; later they began to feel the need to take part with their families in festivals such as “San Roque“, “San Antonio“, “Santa Rita“…

They experience the festivals of the Centro Arnoia, gathering and taking part in open-air gatherings at the Campo Español. These are full days out in the open air. They begin to integrate and learn to make good parrilladas.

As in Uruguay, in Argentina, in the middle of the last century times of prosperity were enjoyed, and the festivals were spectacular.. They were usually enlivened by bagpipers, dance groups, orchestras…