Moeche/Somozas quarries
The earth's mantle as ornamental rock
The Galician Mining Chamber suggests a Ruta do Toelo (Toelo Route) on its website, to discover the observation points and quarries where serpentinites (toelo or Moeche stone) is extracted from the Somozas Mélange, mantle rocks that travelled from the Earth's interior to the surface 350 million years ago. Moeche stone has traditionally been used as an ornamental rock due to its striking appearance. The main quarries, which are very attractive, are located on private estates, so permission is required to visit them. A beautiful recent statue made from toelo located in front of Moeche castle pays tribute to the women who worked in the old quarries and allows visitors to admire the beauty of carved toelo.
Also of special interest is the old quarry of A Caleira, an open-air quarry that was used to extract marble, a rock that is very rare in Galicia, and even more so in this area. Once again, this quarry is located on private property, so permission is required to visit it.
On the tour of this area, you can also see San Xurxo church and altars dedicated to the souls of the deceased, cruceiros (stone crosses), lintels and petos de ánimas (altars dedicated to the souls of the deceased) carved from toelo.
