Castillo de Ribadavia, Medieval castle in Ribadavia, Spain

Castillo de Ribadavia is a ruined stone fortress on a promontory above the Avia River, built from rough grey and tan granite blocks. A thick round tower rises near the centre, its top broken and uneven, with a small ruined opening. To its left, a lower rectangular wall section shows a window slot and carved stone emblems below; higher wall fragments stand to the right, one capped by a pointed gable. A lower, thicker wall runs across the foreground, with moss and dry grass growing between the stones, and a street lamp stands at the right edge.

Construction began in the 14th century after King Henry II granted the lordship of Ribadavia to Pedro Ruiz Sarmiento in 1375. This royal grant marked the beginning of the fortification as an important administrative seat for the Sarmiento family in the region.

The International Theater Festival takes place here every July and is one of Galicia's main theatrical events. It brings artists and audiences together to experience the location's heritage through contemporary performances within the fortress walls.

The fortress is easy to locate from its visible walls and towers above the town center, making orientation straightforward. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear as the ground is uneven and parts of the structure remain in ruins.

Excavations by Manuel Chamoso Lamas inside the walls uncovered 20 anthropomorphic tombs forming a medieval necropolis dated to the 9th–12th centuries. Beside the graves, a circular stairway cut directly into the bedrock may have belonged to the chapel at the centre of the cemetery.