Have you been to the Roman Wall in Lugo in a holiday trip?

 
Did you know that you can visit and walk on the top of a Roman wall? And that it is a well and good preserved state? Yes, you can do that, and it is in Spain. There is a big Roman wall in Lugo, North West Spain, the capital of the homonymous province in the autonomous community of Galicia, where you can find this impressive jewel with a particularly important historical heritage: it is the only Roman wall that is preserved and walkable in the world.

This monument is a great reason to approach and visit this beautiful Galician city, without forgetting that Lugo is one of the most interesting Galician destinations due to its historical, cultural, natural and gastronomic heritage. We will talk here about the secrets of the Roman Wall of Lugo in this post. If you need more information of what to do or to visit in North Spain, visit the north of the country for a stunning holiday and consider staying in hotels in San Sebastian, Spain.

The Roman Wall

This Wall was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, and it was protecting the Sacred Forest of Augustus (Lucus Augusti) founded by Fabio Máximo on behalf of the Emperor of Rome Lucus Augustis. Lugo was the capital of one of the three Roman legal camps together with Astorga and Braga, and which made up the province of Gallaecia and was extended to the Duero River. From the name of the Roman Emperor, Lucus Augustis, the city of Lugo got its name. It was built at the end of the second century, with a length of more than two kilometers long and a total of 85 towers, of which only 71 are preserved. Some of the sections of the wall reach seven meters wide, so that walking on the top of it is very comfortable and accessible. In addition, from there, it is possible to discover some of the most iconic views of Lugo city.

Inside the Roman Wall you can see the historic center of the city. You can access to the Wall through some stairs located at different points through the historic city centre of Lugo. There are also different doors that allow the access to the city center. Lugo’s Roman Wall has a dozen of doors, some are from the Roman time and other ones have been built later on, each of which have its own artistic and historical characteristics.

Among the Roman gates, the Puerta de Santiago, the Puerta Miñá, the Puerta Nueva, the Puerta Falsa and the Puerta de San Pedro are preserved.

Port of Santiago

The Puerta de Santiago, also known as Puerta del Postigo, Posticu or Porticu, is characterized by having a sculpture with a temple and coat of arms. This is one of the most emblematic doors of all the Wall. When you cross this door, you can see in front the Cathedral of Santa María. By this door there is a ramp accessible for people with reduced mobility that allows you to go up to the top of the Wall, since in the rest of the doors there are stairs.

The Roman Wall of Lugo was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 for being the best living example of military fortifications from the late Roman Empire preserved in Europe. The modifications that it has undergone throughout its more than 17 centuries of existence have not substantially altered its appearance and original layout, which follows the guidelines of the Roman engineer Vitruvius. It is the only one, in the entire territory of the Roman Empire, that conserves its entire perimeter and with its presence has determined the history and urban evolution of the city of Lugo, increasing and enriching its cultural interest.

Nowadays, the Roman wall, has lost its military function and it has been fully integrated into the current urban structure: it surrounds the historic city, and its walkway is a promenade, or one more pedestrian street, of the kind that its inhabitants and visitors usually use. the Roman wall, has lost its military function and it has been fully integrated into the current urban structure: it surrounds the historic city, and its walkway is a promenade, or one more pedestrian street, of the kind that its inhabitants and visitors usually use. the Roman wall, has lost its military function and it has been fully integrated into the current urban structure: it surrounds the historic city, and its walkway is a promenade, or one more pedestrian street, of the kind that its inhabitants and visitors usually use.

Lugo’s wall is still there, defying time and making it as one of the most visited monuments in Galicia. Most of the habitants of the city use it every morning to do sports, to go walking around it and enjoy the views of Lugo and to enjoy this incredible piece of art.