Museo da Emigración a Guinea Ecuatorial
Museum in Quintela de Leirado on Galician emigration to Equatorial Guinea, with videos, testimonies and recreated settings. Guided visits by reservation.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Quintela de Leirado, in the Celanova comarca, has a history closely tied to Equatorial Guinea. Emigration to the then Spanish colony began in 1896 with Eloy Estrada, from A Moruisca, the first resident of the municipality to settle on the island of Fernando Poo. Over time, according to the mayor, more than 80% of residents emigrated there at some point, to the extent that the Fernando Poo area came to be known as “the valley of Fernando Poo”.
The museum opened on 11 December 2021 on the ground floor of the multipurpose building in Leirado. It was promoted by Quintela de Leirado Town Council and the Ourense Provincial Council, which contributed €48,000 towards the museum set-up, including documentation work. Its holdings come largely from donations by residents: photographs and documents, machetes, Fang figures, a sun helmet (salacot) and sacks and cocoa beans. They are complemented by audiovisual material combining recent interviews with family Super 8 recordings.
The route follows eight stages: emigration as the only way out in the 1940s and 1950s; Guinea as a way to “make the Americas” (hacer las Américas), that is, to make a fortune; the journey; the new world; running cocoa and coffee plantations; the wonderful sixties; the flight after independence in 1968–1969; and the return to Galicia.
Highlights
- First-hand testimonies from residents who lived through emigration
- Period videos and family Super 8 recordings
- Recreated settings of life in Guinea and in Galicia
- Donated objects: machetes, Fang figures, sun helmet and cocoa sacks
- 3D virtual visit on the museum's website
Permanent exhibition
- La emigración a Guinea Ecuatorial – Route in eight sections, from leaving Galicia to returning, with period videos, testimonies, panels, objects and recreated settings.
- Founded
- 2021
- Operated by
- Concello de Quintela de Leirado
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided visit by prior phone booking, Monday to Friday 09:00–14:00. The website also offers a 3D virtual visit. |
