Javier Costas Goberna’s contribution to recovering the historical memory of both the Monastery of Santa María de Oia and the municipality of Oia is of immeasurable value. His dedication, perseverance and outstanding research have made it possible to identify and highlight the significance of numerous prehistoric rock carvings, the area’s Roman heritage, and, above all, the importance and influence of Oia Monastery across different historical periods, extending as far as Lisbon.
A member of the Institute of Vigo Studies, he is the author of numerous publications. In recognition of his remarkable work, he was chosen as the recipient of the Second Oia Monastery Recognition Award.
The tribute took place on an autumn afternoon, with falling leaves setting the scene in the Monastery gardens. The ceremony included not only the presentation of a commemorative gift but also the announcement of a new publication entitled “The Monks of Oia: From Heroes to Villains in the Seventeenth Century.” The book explores the extraordinary challenges faced by the monks during this period, when they were required to maintain the military garrison at a time of intense political and military tension between Spain and Portugal.
The publication, produced in collaboration with Oia Monastery through its publishing house Serra da Groba, was scheduled for release in early 2021.
Javier Costas Goberna’s association with Oia Monastery dates back more than fifteen years. During that time, he collaborated with the Association of Friends of Oia Monastery (ACAMO) on a number of initiatives, including the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Monastery’s designation as a protected cultural monument.
More recently, he collaborated on the 2019 publication “With Another Perspective: The Horror of the Spanish Civil War at Oia Monastery (1936–1939).” The book, the result of research carried out by Lucía Álvarez, Lorena González and Javier Costas Goberna, documents the inscriptions and testimonies left by Republican prisoners, their families, and local residents who lived through those years.
Between 2005 and 2019, Oia Monastery undertook a series of conservation initiatives to protect the prisoners’ inscriptions on its walls, created between 1937 and 1939. The authors were granted access to the Monastery to study the inscriptions in their original locations before they were carefully removed, restored and incorporated into the permanent exhibition, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
The First Oia Monastery Recognition Award was presented to Joan Salvador in November 2019, during the opening of the exhibition “The Prisoners of the Monastery: Memories of the Spanish Civil War.” Having been released from the Oia Concentration Camp in December 1938, Joan Salvador shared personal memories and experiences during the inauguration that deeply moved everyone in attendance.
Through initiatives such as this, Oia Monastery continues its commitment to preserving, researching and promoting its unique historical and cultural heritage.
