Palloza Museo Casa do Sesto

Palloza Museo Casa do Sesto is a centuries-old palloza turned ethnographic museum in the village of Piornedo, in the municipality of Cervantes (Lugo, Galicia), sitting at roughly 1,200 metres above sea level in the Os Ancares mountains.

What is this place?

Casa do Sesto is one of the oldest surviving pallozas in the region, with a building history dating back at least to 1770. It served as the main family home of its current owners until 1970, and has been open to visitors since 1989. In 2007, the Galician regional government formally recognised it as an ethnographic collection open to the public. It remains a privately run initiative, still managed by the owning family.

A palloza is the traditional mountain dwelling of the Os Ancares area: a round or oval stone structure topped with a thick thatched roof made of rye straw (colmo), with very few windows. This design sheltered both people and livestock from the strong winds and harsh cold typical of these highlands.

What will you see inside?

Casa do Sesto has preserved its original layout, in which people and animals lived under the same roof. Inside you'll find:

• the alcoba, the family's main bedroom,
• the lareira, the traditional Galician open hearth at the centre of domestic life,
• a bread oven,
• stables and pens for both large and small livestock.

The house also displays everyday tools and objects spanning several eras: farming implements, kitchen equipment, weaving looms, carpentry tools, basketwork and forge pieces. Together they offer a vivid picture of daily life in the isolated mountain villages of the Ancares as it was lived just a few generations ago.

How do you get there?

The museum is located in Piornedo de Ancares, within the municipality of Cervantes, in the province of Lugo. Piornedo is a small village known for its cluster of preserved pallozas, considered one of the best-conserved settlements of this kind in the whole Os Ancares range. Reaching it means driving mountain roads, so it's worth allowing extra time, especially in winter, when conditions at 1,200 metres can turn demanding.

When to visit and what does it cost?

Admission is symbolic, around 2 euros. Groups are asked to book their visit in advance directly with the owners. Spring and summer are the most comfortable seasons to explore Os Ancares — the mountain roads are easier to travel, and the surrounding trails around Piornedo and neighbouring palloza villages are at their best.

Why visit?

Casa do Sesto isn't a reconstructed tourist attraction — it's an authentic, 250-plus-year-old home that was inhabited until recently. It's a rare chance to see firsthand the architecture that shaped the cultural landscape of the Ancares, and to understand the everyday life of Galicia's mountain communities up close.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is a palloza? A palloza is the traditional mountain house of the Os Ancares region — a stone building with a thick thatched roof, where people and farm animals lived together under one roof.

How old is the Casa do Sesto building? It dates back at least to 1770 and was inhabited by the owning family until 1970.

Do you need to book a visit? Individual visitors can usually just show up, but groups should reserve a time slot in advance with the owners.

How much does admission cost? Entry is symbolic, around 2 euros per person.