Cospeito

Cospeito
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms
Cospeito Location in Spain
Coordinates: 43°14′10″N 7°33′30″W / 43.23611°N 7.55833°W / 43.23611; -7.55833Coordinates: 43°14′10″N 7°33′30″W / 43.23611°N 7.55833°W / 43.23611; -7.55833
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Galicia
Province	Lugo
Comarca	Terra Chá
Government
– Alcalde	Armando Castosa Alvariño (2007) (PP)
Area
– Total	144.9 km2 (55.9 sq mi)
Elevation	762 m (2,500 ft)
Population (2008)
– Total	5,275
– Density	36.4/km2 (94.3/sq mi)
Demonym	Cospeitense
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	27377
Dialing code	982
Official language(s)
Website	Official website

Cospeito is a municipality of the Province of Lugo in Galicia. It is situated on the plain of Terra Chá.

It is made up by the following villages:

• Arcillá (San Paio)
• Bestar (Santa María)
• Bexán ou Rubiños (San Paio)
• Cospeito (Santa María)
• Goá (San Xurxo)
• Lamas (San Martiño)
• Momán (San Pedro)
• Muimenta (Santa Mariña)
• Pino (San Martiño)
• Rioaveso (Santalla)
• Roás (San Miguel)
• Santa Cristina (San Xiao)
• Seixas (San Pedro)
• Sisoi (Santalla)
• Sistallo (San Xoán)
• Támoga (San Xiao)
• Vilapene (Santa María)
• Vilar (Santa María)
• Xermar (Santa María)
• Xustás (Santiago)

Population in 2007: 5,349 people according to the townhall register (5,609 in 2003).

Etymology

Still not clarified; according to Xosé L. G. Paz, it may derive from the proper name Conspecti (genitive of the name Conspectus). Another possibility is that it derives from "Conspectu(m)", which in Latin means "visible from the surrounding area".

History & Geography

It is located in the heart of Terra Chá. There are several small lakes in this area, the best known of which is the Lake of Cospeito. The surrounding wetland is populated by ducks, herons, lapwings and other species.

A pre-Roman hill fort which is known as O Torrillón can still be recognized in Támoga. A nearby castle was destroyed during the Irmandiño uprising.

The ruins of the Tower of Caldaloba (15th century), in the village of Pino, is one of its major monuments.

In this municipality, the German army was allowed to install during the Second World War three radionavigation antennas, 112 metres high with the aim of facilitating the positioning and follow-up of submarines (U-Boots) and aeroplanes in the Bay of Biscay.

People born in Cospeito

• Xesús Rábade Paredes, writer and poet (b. 1949)
• Darío Xohán Cabana, writer and poet (b. 1952)
• Fidel Fernán Bello, journalist (b. 1954)
• Miguel Anxo Fernán-Vello, writer and poet (b. 1958)
• Emma Couceiro, writer and poet (b. 1977)
• Luis Tosar, actor (b. 1971)

External links

• Information about this municipality on the website of the Provincial Authority