Hórreo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Traditional 'hórreo' grain barn, Parque Natural de Redes. December 2004

Hórreo in Carnota

Stabbur originally from Bergsrud in Sør-Aurdal, later relocated to the Bautahaugen Samlinger. (Photo: John Erling Blad)

An hórreo (Spanish), hórreu - hórru (Asturian) or stabbur (Norwegian) is a granary built in wood (Scandinavia and Iberia) or stone (Iberia), raised from the ground by pillars ("pegollos", in Asturian) ending in flat stones or "mueles", to avoid the access of rodents. Ventilation is allowed by the grooves in its walls.

Hórreos are mainly found in Northwest Spain (though there are also in other Northern villages). There are two main types of hórreo, rectangular-shaped, typical from Galicia and square-shaped from Asturias.

The longest hórreo in Galicia is located in Carnota, La Coruña and is 35 m long.

There are several types of Asturian hórreo, according to the characteristics of the roof (thatched, tiled, slate, pitched or double pitched...), the materials used for the pillars or the decoration. The oldest still standing date from the 15th century, and even nowadays they are built ex novo. There are an estimated 18,000 hórreos and paneras in Asturias, some are poorly preserved but there is a growing awareness from owners and authorities to maintain them in good shape.

Other similar granary structures include Asturian paneras (basically, big hórreos with more than four pillars), espigueiros or canastros in northern Portugal (the most famous concentration is located in Soajo), trojes or trojs in Castile or silos, and Balkan hambars.