route 13 A Sionlla – Agualada – O Carballal – Lavacolla

Located in the village of As Quintás, within the municipality of Santiago de Compostela, the Church of San Xulián do Carballal is a beautiful example of Galician rural Romanesque architecture, later enriched with Baroque elements. Its main structure dates from the 12th century, although it has been modified over time, especially in the 18th century, when the west façade was reformed and the sacristy was added.
The church has a rectangular floor plan with a single nave of small dimensions and an elongated apse, unusual in proportion to the nave. Its gabled roof is topped by a modern double bell tower, made of concrete. The current access doors, on the south and west walls, as well as their windows, are of more recent construction and are not part of the original design.
Despite its simplicity, decorative elements such as the corbels on the side walls are preserved, some with human and animal figures, although quite eroded. Geometric and plant motifs also stand out, and an antefixed cross in the apse that highlights its symbolic character.
The temple is surrounded by the local cemetery and the festival ground, forming part of a heritage site that includes a nearby cross and archaeological remains such as the Castro da Devesa do Carballal, a witness to the ancient history of the region.