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Galicia History
A host of Celtic tribes settled in the region that is now Galicia prior to the subsequent Roman invasion, which goes to explain the signs of the Celtic traditions that featured in the area since. By 137 and 136 BC the Romans had entered the region and started to bring about their own influence. However, by the fifth century AD the Roman grip on Galicia fell to the Suevi who, in turn, made the Roman Gallaecia capital of Braga their own capital city. The Suebi stayed in power for more than 170 years there until King Leovigild of the Visigoths invaded and claimed it for himself.
During the Moorish invasion only a passing glance was given to the north-west but they never really asserted any control there before being pushed out for good in 739. And so throughout the 9th and 10th centuries Galicia claimed a kind of nominal sovereignty, enduring several Viking and Norman raids on the coast and provoking the construction of some protective towers in Pontevedra.
Later, in 1063, as part of the Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Galicia was given to one of the sons of Ferdinand I, Garcia II. However, less than 10 years later in 1072 Garcia’s brother re-annexed the area for himself and so the region remained as part of the Kingdom of Castile and Leon.
Centuries later, in the 1800s, various regional and federalist movements began to surface, which were followed in 1916 by some more serious nationalist sentiments. They did seem to win through, as in 1931 Galicia became an autonomous region. However, just a few years later General Franco, in his efforts to spread the nationalist ideology, removed any notion of regionalism and the situation remained so until his death in 1975.
There was a distinct shift after the dictator’s death though. In 1978 a new constitution was established which paved the way for a Statute of Autonomy in 1981, allowing Galicia its own self-government and recognition of its historical nationality.