What to see in Corcubión
Corcubion, land of calm and bravery
Cultural Heritage
Cultural Heritage
A Furna de Don Liborio
Ethnological heritage
At the foot of the cliffs where the Cardenal’s Castle is located there is a cave (furna in Galician) with three entrances known as A Furna de Don Liborio.
Legend has it that there was an underground passage leading from the fortress to the cave which, among many other functions, was used to throw the corpses of the condemned into the sea.
During the repair work being carried out on the castle as a result of the war against the French in 1809, the workers began to hear some groans coming from a crack in one of the walls. Driven by curiosity they knocked down part of what turned out to be a false wall and found a macabre scene. They ran in astonishment to inform the authorities, who went to the site and verified, after knocking down the wall, the existence of a mummified body that was walled-up and that looked terrifying.
They decided to take the body down for examination. The coroner, while carrying out the autopsy, observed that among the rags of the deceased there was a glass bowl hanging from a small chain that contained a manuscript. One of those present read the document aloud, which turned out to be the sentence that explained the cruel punishment. The body belonged to Don Liborio, a prosperous businessman who lived in Corcubión in the mid-18th century.
One unfortunate day, Don Liborio was accused as a suspect of the death of a maid's daughter. The girl's name was Hermelinda, and it is said that she was the most beautiful and charming creature to be born in the village in many years. Her body was found hidden between the walls of a stable next to Don Liborio's house. After being subjected to a harsh interrogation, he was found guilty of the maiden's murder and, in return for his terrible crime, condemned to immurement.
After discussion, those present decided to get rid of the remains of Don Liborio. They put the deceased in a crate and threw him through the tunnel that led to the cave near the sea. From there a short time later, as the body sank into the water, a terrifying moan was heard and a blinding light came out from inside the cave, illuminating the whole night. As the crate with Don Liborio's remains sank into the sea the moaning and blinding light faded away. In the harsh winter nights, when the brave storm hits Costa da Morte with force, one can still hear the desperate moan of the unfortunate Don Liborio, who cries out in anger against the unjust sentence. His anger is calmed when a blinding light emerges from the sea and penetrates the cave. Many say that this light is none other than the soul of the beautiful Hermelinda who comes from the other world to comfort poor Don Liborio.
