Church of San Breixo de Foxás

Parish: Foxás (San Breixo)

Location: A Eirexe

The parish church of Foxás is an 18th-century Baroque building. It has a rectangular floor plan and a square presbytery that stands out within the whole. The granite walls are plastered and painted white, except for the façade and the bell tower, which maintain their stone finish. Above the main doorway there is a niche with the image of the patron saint.

San Verísimo, or San Breixo, patron of the parish, was a 3rd century martyr venerated in Galicia and Portugal. His feast is celebrated on October 1st, and his cult dates back to the 9th century. In art he is often depicted wearing a tunic or as a cleric, always recalling his role as martyr and spiritual guide.

Although it is not the only important holiday of the parish, the romeria of San Breixo is the most significant religious celebration, not only for Foxás but for the whole area. In the past, it was common for families to gather together to eat under the oaks on the festival grounds.

The church is not only famous for the romeria; its bell tower once held a huge bell with a clock mechanism that struck the hours and could be heard from several kilometers away. Today, the bell is kept in the social venue.

In the parish there are also small chapels, such as that of Santa Cristina in Obra, where a feast in her honor is celebrated on July 24, and another chapel dedicated to San Xosé in Grixó.