Lugo

Lugo is a very nice city of Spain located in the northwest of the country, in the green region of Galicia, surrounded by the river Miño and two other smaller rivers. It has Roman origins, it was founded in the year 25 BC, and probably it took its name from Lucus Augusti, a Latin locution that means “the sacred wood of Augustus”, although some historians do not exclude that it could have a pre-Roman origin.
Between the years 260 and 325, a wall was built around the city, today it is considered the only Roman fortification remained intact over the centuries, and it is inscribed on the list of World Heritage site of UNESCO.

In the following centuries the Roman remains were buried and the city was rebuilt. During the Middle Ages it acquired a certain importance with the beginning of the celebrations of San Froilán and with the Blessed Sacrament, consecrated bread and wine, permanently exposed in its cathedral dedicated to the “Big-eyed Virgin”. In more recent times it has become a city of tourist interest due to its evident traces of the Roman civilization that are still remained intact after two thousand years of history.

WHAT TO SEE IN LUGO

WORLD HERITAGE SITE OF UNESCO

One of the many reasons to visit the city of Lugo are its landmarks inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list: the Primitive Way, the Cathedral and the Roman wall.

The Roman wall, more than two kilometres long, was built to defend the city from the attacks of invading peoples, but as its Latin name suggests, “Lucus Augusti” (“sacred wood of Augustus”), it could also have had the purpose of protecting the wood of the Roman emperor Augustus, who reigned at that time.

The Roman wall has ten gates and 71 towers, most of them with circular plan and some with quadrangular plan. If you walk on the wall, at a height of up to ten meters, you have the wonderful opportunity to enjoy the most beautiful views of the city and the surrounding landscape.

If you want to visit the city centre of Lugo, you have to pass through its gates. If you go through the Porta Santiago, you arrive at the cathedral of Santa Maria and the university where Domus de Mitreo museum is located.

If you pass through the Porta Miñá, there are several bars and restaurants where you can taste the local gastronomy.
The Porta do bispo Odoario was opened in the last century to give people access to the hospital which is inside the walls on the right side.
The Porta Nova is only for pedestrians, and after passing through it, a few meters further there is the Provincial Museum and the Church of San Pedro.
Before passing under the great arch of the Porta San Fernando, on the right side you can see a monolith in honour of the visit, in 1976, of the Kings of Spain, Juan Carlos I and Sofía, once inside the historical centre, you can see the church of San Froilán, patron of Lugo.
The Porta Falsa is for pedestrians use only, and on the left side there are the stairs to go to the wall.
The Porta da Estación was opened to communicate the city with the train station, less than a kilometre from the wall.
The Porta San Pedro is the entrance to the city for pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela through the Primitive Way.
The Porta Campo Castelo leads to a square surrounded by shops, and bars where you can taste tapas.
The Porta do bispo Aguirre leads to Praza Maior, the meeting point of the city.

The cathedral of Santa Maria was started to build in 1129 in Romanesque style, then it was restored in the neoclassical style and it was completed in 1273. Inside it you can see: the Blessed Sacrament, the consecrated bread and wine, permanently exposed on the main altar; beautiful oil paintings covering the vault of the altar; the chapel dedicated to the “Big-eyed Virgin”, patron saint of the city; and the chapel dedicated to San Froilán, patron saint of the city too.

The Primitive Way is one of the paths of the Camino de Santiago, and it begins from Oviedo, Principality of Asturias, and it passes through the centre of Lugo, where you can admire beautiful historical buildings and others of avant-gardist architecture. Among these, for example, stands out the Interactive Museum of History, with its particular cylinder shape like the towers of the wall, that you can visit underground, where its exhibition rooms are located. Among the historical buildings you can appreciate that of the town hall in Praza Maior, and that of the Círculo de las Artes (Club of Arts).

THE RUINS OF THE ROMAN CIVILIZATION

In Lugo there are also other traces of the ancient Roman civilization: the baths, a bridge, the Domus de Mitreo, the San Roque Archaeological Centre and the Casa de los Mosaicos (House of Mosaics).

• The baths are located less than a kilometre from the city centre, next to the river Miño, inside the building of the Hotel Balneario. They are the ruins of the ancient Roman baths that date back to the time when the city was built, and you can see them in two rooms: the dressing room with several niches in which people left the clothes and their personal objects; and the baths, that later became a Christian chapel.
• The Roman bridge, rebuilt over the centuries, is located a few meters away from the baths, on the river Miño that runs along the city and forms part of the Primitive Way that leads to Santiago de Compostela.
• The Domus, a Roman house that dates back to the first century AD and the Mithraeum, a temple dedicated to the sun god Mithras, which dates back to the 3rd century AD, is located inside the University of Santiago in the cathedral square. It is an archaeological site that shows with interactive images, how life was in a Roman noble house, with its bedrooms, kitchen, patio, some objects of domestic use and what remains of some wall paintings.
• The San Roque archaeological centre exhibits the ruins of a Roman necropolis and other ceramic objects used for oriental cults.
• In the House of Mosaics you can see the ruins of a large and important Roman house, for the particular quality of its mosaics and paintings.

CHURCHES

• The Cathedral of Santa Maria
• The ancient convent of San Francisco that dates back to the fifteenth century and whose entire construction included the church, the cloister and a building for the Franciscan order. After being abandoned, the building of the Franciscan order was later recovered and it is currently used as the seat of the Provincial Museum, which exhibits an interesting collection of Celtic jewellery, Roman mosaics, and paintings of Galician artists.
• The church of San Pedro is located in the church of the Franciscan convent, which was renovated and it is currently a beautiful example of Mudejar art.

MUSEUMS

• Provincial Museum
• Interactive Museum of History
• Domus de Mitreo Museum
• San Roque archaeological site
• House of Mosaics
• Interpretation centre of the wall, which explains the history of the Roman fortification
• The Porta Miñá exhibition hall, that explains the evolutionary process of the city, through pieces of great historical value of the Roman Empire.

PARKS AND NATURAL RESERVES

Lugo belongs to the Tierras do Miño Biosphere Reserve, which runs along the city from the north to the south, where the rivers Miño and Rato pass, and it counts with a wide variety of autochthonal fauna and flora. Going a few kilometres towards the north far from the city, you reach the recreational area of Penas de Rodas, where in the heart of a quiet green woods there are large granite rocks that amaze for their extraordinary dimensions and postures.

Towards the west of the city, hidden in a small village surrounded by leafy green trees, there is the Roman sanctuary of Santa Eulalia de Bóveda, dating back to the III century AD., where you can see murals of great historical importance.
Just outside the walls of the city of Lugo, there is the Park of Rosalía de Castro, where there are old trees, a pond, a playground for children and extensive walking areas.

GASTRONOMY

As for the gastronomy, Rúa Nova and Praza do Campo, are two renowned areas throughout the region of Galicia. At aperitif time (tapas) or main meals, in the many bars and taverns you can taste the typical dishes that have made it famous in the rest of the country:

• octopus a la feira (read the recipe here)
• caldo gallego (Galician broth)
• empanada (read the recipe here)
• the eels, accompanied by a good wine from the nearby denomination of origin Ribeira Sacra.

CULTURAL TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS

• On 5th October Lugo celebrates San Froilán, patron of Lugo. From 4th to 12th October various events take place including theatre and puppet shows, sports competitions, concerts, craft fairs.
• In the first weekend of September the city celebrates the Virgin of Miracles in the neighbourhood of La Milagrosa.
• For three days in June Lugo celebrates the Arde Lucus festival, where people dress in typical Roman clothing to recreate the historical environment of the era of the foundation of the city. There are also quadriga races, fights of gladiators, market and events for children.
• The city’s music festival takes place in May and June.

OTHER CITIES OF GALICIA TO VISIT

• A Coruña: the second largest city in the Galicia region is located on a peninsula joined to land by a narrow isthmus, it has a renowned historic port and enchanting beaches on the vast and blue Atlantic ocean. It has very ancient origins dating back to the Iron Age, and the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world, linked to the legend of Hercules. To know more about A Coruña click the following link: What to see in A Coruña and also Read more about A CORUÑA THE GLASS CITY
• Pontevedra: what to see in Pontevedra
• Santiago de Compostela: what to see in Santiago de Compostela