Igrexa de San Xoán de Seoane

Igrexa de San Xoán de Seoane is the parish church of the village of Seoane, in the municipality of Allariz, province of Ourense, in Galicia, Spain. The church is dedicated to Saint John — Xoán being the Galician form of the name — and it is from this dedication that the whole parish takes its name: Seoane derives from the Latin "Sanctum Iohannem".

Where exactly is Seoane?

The parish of Seoane occupies the south-western corner of the Allariz municipality. It borders other parishes within the same municipality — San Trocado, San Martiño de Pazó, Allariz (Santiago) and Torneiros — as well as the neighbouring municipalities of Rairiz de Veiga, A Bola and A Merca. This is classic inland Galician countryside: small hamlets scattered among fields and woodland, with the parish church acting as the natural focal point for the community.

According to figures from the Galician statistics institute (IGE), the parish had around 100 inhabitants in 2015 (46 men and 54 women). Its largest settlement is Pumares, with 35 residents; the parish also includes the hamlet of Casaldoira.

How do you get there?

The natural starting point is Allariz itself — a historic town with medieval roots, declared a Site of Historic and Artistic Interest back in 1971 and awarded the European Town Planning Prize in 1994. From its old centre, local roads branch out into the municipality and reach the scattered hamlets of the Seoane parish. Allariz was once a royal residence — King Alfonso X the Wise stayed here — which is why the town was walled; its medieval Jewish quarter, Socastelo, still survives today.

The Camino Sanabrés, a branch of the Way of St James heading on towards Ourense, runs directly through Allariz, crossing the town's medieval bridge over the river Arnoia. It makes sense to combine a walk through the old town with a trip out to the surrounding villages, including Seoane.

What will you see there?

The church itself is a small rural parish building, typical of this part of Galicia — a modest structure set into farming land that has served as a landmark for scattered local farmsteads for generations. Fields and small orchards surround it, and the nearest clusters of houses, at Pumares and Casaldoira, illustrate the dispersed settlement pattern typical of inland Galicia.

It's worth pairing a visit with a walk through the historic centre of Allariz — its narrow lanes and stone houses, and the Santa Clara monastery, a Baroque building from the mid-18th century raised on the site of a medieval convent founded at the end of the 13th century.

When should you visit?

Spring and early autumn offer the best conditions for exploring the Galician countryside, with green landscapes and mild temperatures. Summers can turn hot, while winters bring more rain. Since the parish is rural and dispersed, with little tourist infrastructure, a daytime visit works best — this is a place valued above all for its quiet and its scenery.

Frequently asked questions

What is Igrexa de San Xoán de Seoane? It's the parish church of the village of Seoane in the Allariz municipality, dedicated to Saint John, whose name was passed on to the whole parish.

How many people live in the Seoane parish? IGE figures from 2015 put the population at around 100, with Pumares as the largest settlement (35 residents).

How do you reach Seoane? The easiest route is via Allariz, a well-connected historic town, from where local roads lead into the parish's hamlets.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Allariz's historic quarter, the Santa Clara monastery, and the stretch of the Camino Sanabrés that crosses the town on its way to Ourense.