About this place
Igrexa de Santa Eufemia de Folgueiras is the parish church of the small village of Folgueiras, in the municipality of Navia de Suarna, province of Lugo, in the Os Ancares district of eastern Galicia.
Where is Folgueiras and its church located?
Folgueiras sits in the mountainous Os Ancares district, near where Galicia meets Castile and León and Asturias. The village lies at coordinates 42.9135 N, 7.0041 W, postal code 27659. Besides the village of Folgueiras itself, the parish of Santa Eufemia de Folgueiras also includes the settlements of Silvouta and Vilaverde, as well as the now-abandoned hamlet of Río. The whole area reflects the typical Ancares landscape: high, forested ridges dotted with small, scattered villages far from the main tourist routes.
What is the history of the parish?
The administrative status of the parish of Santa Eufemia de Folgueiras was formally confirmed by decree in 1997, though the parish community and its church existed here well before that — the decree simply regulated territorial boundaries within the municipality of Navia de Suarna. The parish's patron saint is Santa Eufemia (Saint Euphemia), to whom the church is dedicated.
Which church structure does it belong to?
The church of Santa Eufemia de Folgueiras falls under the Deanery (Arciprestazgo) of Becerreá, part of the Diocese of Lugo. It is one of many small rural parishes scattered across the municipality of Navia de Suarna, served — like most such communities in Os Ancares — by a parish administrator responsible for several villages at once.
What is village life like today?
Folgueiras is a small, shrinking village: as of 2020, the whole parish counted just 45 inhabitants, a figure that has been declining steadily for years. The church remains the main point of reference for residents spread across Folgueiras, Silvouta and Vilaverde, a pattern common to many parishes in the mountains of Lugo, where rural depopulation has continued for decades.
What should visitors know before coming?
The surroundings of Folgueiras lie at the heart of Os Ancares, a district known for its extensive forests, traditional pallozas architecture, and hiking routes crossing into the neighboring Ancares Leoneses range in Castile and León. As the parish church of a very small community, it does not maintain publicly listed visitor information — anyone planning to attend Mass or visit should check directly with the Diocese of Lugo or the Navia de Suarna town council beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the church of Santa Eufemia de Folgueiras located? In the village of Folgueiras, municipality of Navia de Suarna (province of Lugo, Galicia), at coordinates 42.9135 N, 7.0041 W, postal code 27659.
Who is the church's patron saint? Santa Eufemia (Saint Euphemia), to whom the entire parish is dedicated.
How many people live in the Folgueiras parish? As of 2020, the parish had 45 inhabitants, spread across Folgueiras, Silvouta and Vilaverde.
Which diocese does the church belong to? The Diocese of Lugo, within the Deanery (Arciprestazgo) of Becerreá.
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