O Barco is the capital of the Valdeorras region, where the Sil river enters Galicia. The ancient gold mining is present in remnants from the Roman era, and current mining (slate) is its main source of wealth. A land of passage where the Romans took the Via Nova that connected Braga and Astorga, crossed by the railway since 1883 and where pilgrims who choose the Winter Way to Compostela come today. The streets of the old part were arranged following the course of the Sil and featured galleries and balconies in a pattern for contemplation. The Praza Mayor, a triangle with the church of San Mauro at the vertex, opens towards the river and towards an old pier from when it had to be crossed by boat (Porto da Barca). Today O Barco is a dynamic and modern town, with a wide range of commercial and service offerings, leisure, cultural, and gastronomic options. The production of wines, under the D.O. Valdeorras, is another asset of its economy. Here originates the Godello, a white wine known worldwide.