Roman Walls of Lugo

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

A great example of Roman military architecture

Roman Walls of Lugo, a city in the Autonomous Region of Galicia in north-western Spain, are an exceptional architectural, archaeological and constructive legacy of Roman engineering, dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

The Walls are built of internal and external stone facings of slate with some granite, with a core filling of a conglomerate of slate slabs and worked stone pieces from Roman buildings, interlocked with lime mortar. Their total length of 2117m in the shape of an oblong rectangle occupies an area of 1.68ha. Their height varies between 8 and 10m, with a width of 4.2m, reaching 7m in some specific points.

Santiago Gate (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

The walls still contain 85 external towers, 10 gates (five of which are original and five that were opened in modern times), four staircases and two ramps providing access to the walkway along the top of the walls, one of which is internal and the other external. Each tower contained access stairs leading from the intervallum to the wall walk of the town wall, of which a total of 21 have been discovered to date.

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

The defences of Lugo are the most complete and best preserved example of Roman military architecture in the Western Roman Empire.

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

Despite the renovation work carried out, the walls conserve their original layout and the construction features associated with their defensive purpose, with walls, battlements, towers, fortifications, both modern and original gates and stairways, and a moat.

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

Since they were built, the walls have defined the layout and growth of the city, which was declared a Historical-Artistic Ensemble in 1973, forming a part of it and becoming an emblematic structure that can be freely accessed to walk along.

Lugo cathedral and Roman town wall, Lugo, Camino Primitivo, Way of St. James, Camino de Santiago, pilgrims way, UNESCO World Heritage Site, European Cultural Route, province of Lugo, Galicia, Northern Spain, Spain, Europe (2011-03-21) by Juergen RichterGetty Images

The local inhabitants and visitors alike have used them as an area for enjoyment and as a part of urban life for centuries.

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

The Roman walls of Lugo are the finest surviving example of late Roman military fortifications (Criterion (iv)).

A walk in Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

Look at the authenticity of daily life in Lugo. Experience through the eyes of its inhabitants the beauty and charm of its heritage, the walls and the Roman remains.

Cathedral (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

Integrity

Roman Walls of Lugo visibly conserve their original layout and more than half of their original towers and defensive structures, gates, stairways and other elements, together with a large number of archaeological remains from the period, which help to situate the structure within its historical context, and bear witness to its creation and evolution.

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

The property boundaries include the whole fortifications, while the intramural and extramural areas are included in a buffer zone.

San Pedro Gate (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

Very few monumental complexes can offer the same historical authenticity and archaeological integrity, both in terms of their size and their inclusion within an urban setting, and their continued use, as part of a wider and increasingly well-known context offering a large number of archaeological remains associated with the monument.

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Take a tour of the wall.

Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

Its originality was confirmed by the findings that have been made and the studies carried out on its full layout and structure, on the moat, or on the recovery of its original gateways and stairways, all solid proof of its Roman origins (from between the third and fourth centuries AD).

Lugo, saber y sabor (2000) by Roman Walls of LugoUNESCO World Heritage

Take a walk through the city of Lugo, its surroundings and experience the local delicacies.

Credits: Story

This exhibit was created by Concello de Lugo
www.lugo.gal/es

More on Lugo and World Heritage:
whc.unesco.org/en/list/987

Photos: Concello de Lugo

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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