Roman Walls of Lugo

Having checked off other bigger Spanish Roman sites on previous trips, Lugo may be our most major Roman site of this tour. It did not disappoint, and we were rather charmed by the city. While the City Walls are not as tall as Avila, they are much older, from the 3rd century CE. Over the centuries the city kept the walls, and walls kept the city, e.g. in the 1800s five new gates were added to the original five to make it more convenient for the residents. Today it is a greenway at the top, lit at night. There are many, many access points. Residents are seen exercising on the wall day and night. New street lights were being installed while we were there, to better illuminate the walls.

The Old Town inside the walls retains the Roman grid layout, considering the wall is only 2km long, the interior seems particularly spacious, including a huge plaza major. We made a circuit of the half dozen Roman sites around the Old Town, which took us to the old jail (not Roman but 19th century) that has been transformed into a cultural center. I'm always fascinated by how spaces get transformed.

By looking for the remains of their Roman baths by the river, we came to realize that Lugo is really a hilltop town to the one side. We ended up having a walk by the river. Not only does Lugo jave tons of greenway, it also seems to have lots of housing. I suspected the affordability was even reflected in our apartment rental rate. The only thing Lugo lacks is better climate. At the last weekend in April, it was rainy and barely 60 F.

John disputes the bad climate charge against Lugo. Yes, we had bad weather but overall Lugo has a good climate. From weatherspark.com:

Average Temperature in Lugo:

The warm season lasts for 2.8 months, from June 22 to September 17, with an average daily high temperature above 74°F. The hottest month of the year in Lugo is July, with an average high of 79°F and low of 55°F.

The cool season lasts for 3.8 months, from November 15 to March 9, with an average daily high temperature below 56°F. The coldest month of the year in Lugo is January, with an average low of 37°F and high of 51°F.

Sun-Ling, with backpack, walks along the city wall on our way from the Lugo Bus Station to our apartment located just inside the walls.

Our apartment balconies (right) and city gate (left).

After stopping by the very helpful TI we headed straight for a circumnavigation of the City Walls. There's a greenway along the top!

Wall with Cathedral view.

From the wall you can literally look into people's homes, day and night.

Roman sites around town are usually underground, small, and museum-ized. Here are some examples.

The highlight is the Roman Villa with the adjacent and contemporary Shrine of Mitra.

The Museo Provincial de Lugo has an old cloister, Roman Murals, and introduced us to a new fav painter, Julia Minguillón.

The Model Jail from 1887 is not only a cool building, but now a cultural space.

One afternoon we walked down to the Minho River and toured the (by appt only) Roman Baths, now underneath a contemporary Hotel and Spa... and...

... continued for a walk along the river passing the Roman Bridge...and.. ... fishermen...and...

... an Old Mill on a tributary.

The Minho River has some New Bridges with great views back to town.

A final nighttime spin around the walls.

Other shots around town. The Cathedral.

Parque.