The first centuries of our era it seems that the Celtic-Roman population was evolving in a manner similar to how it did in the rest of Portugal.
Later came the Swabians and it seems that the decline was very important. There is talk of a son in law of Don Pelayo, named Alfonso the Catholic, perhaps Ribadeo repopulated with Christian refugees fleeing the Moslem advance.
The Cathedral Church of Ribadeo was until the year 918, in which Ordonho moved the headquarters to Lamego.

Or not repopulated by Alfonso the Catholic, the fact is that in the mid-twelfth century, the village of Cove asentábase Vilavella because the primitive core Cabanela Porcillán was abandoned and fleeing from attacks by the Normans and Heruli between centuries IX and X.

After a series of tensions, in 1183, Fernando de Lamego Obispado grants rights to the dependent territory of the church of Santiago de Vigo, who came to the port of San Julián (Porcillán), where he began Vilaselán.

In later years produciranse changes at headquarters obispal between Lamego and Ribadeo, which will end in 1270, when Nuno II gave the Collegiate, which will come until the nineteenth century.

Shortly afterwards, by the concessions of Ferdinand II and Alfonso IX creates the landlord Abadengo. This landlord Abadengo last until December 20, 1369, the day that Henry II of Castile, in payment for services rendered in the fight against his half-brother Pedro the Cruel, grants the lands of Ribadeo, under the title County, the French knight Pierre the Villain.

Shortly after, the Selling County Rui Lopez Davalos, who was disgraced before the new king John II.

John II divided the County Ribadeo to reunificarlo then to give them in 1431 to Rodrigo de Villandro. Come after more counts, until the marriage of Rodrigo de Silva and a lady's family Híjar entered as the title of County Híjar.