Lugo is a city in the Autonomous Region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is the only city in the world surrounded by completely intact Roman walls – reaching 10 to 15 meters in height along a 2,117-meter circuit and has a total of 85 outer towers.
The Roman wall in Lugo is a wall system built in the 3rd century and is still mostly intact to this day. The system extends over 2 km around the historic center of Lugo in Galicia. Lugo’s fortifications and wall systems were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in late 2000 as "the finest example of a Roman fortress in Western Europe".
Visitors can stroll along the entire length through a walkway in the walls.
These ancient walls date from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD and are an architectural and archaeological legacy of exceptional construction of Roman engineering. They are built using local materials such as slate, granite and other stones – even pieces of stone that have been machined from Roman buildings – that are reused in the construction process, bringing giving the walls of the late Roman period an authentic look.
Lugo’s defensive system (walls) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are the most complete and best preserved example of Roman military architecture in the Western Roman Empire.
The walls have also been a national monument in Spain since 1921. Today, the walls have a walkway that allows visitors to stroll along the entire length. Since the wall system in Lugo was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2000, the town has held onto an annual festival called Arde Lucus to celebrate its Roman past.
Despite the renovation work carried out over the centuries, the walls have preserved their original layout and features related to their defensive purpose. In addition to the walls, there are defensive towers, battlegrounds, fortifications, both original gates and stairs, as well as a moat. Within the walls, several double stairs provide access to the tower from a balustrade.
Since its construction, Roman walls have defined the layout and development of the city, which was declared an Art-Historical Complex in 1973. Locals and visitors alike have used them as an area for recreation and as part of urban life for centuries.
There are 10 gates in the walls: 5 were built in Roman times and another 5 were added in 1853 after the city’s population grew rapidly. Of the original watchtowers, 49 are still intact, and another 39 are partially left. The towers were built in different time periods, along the wall. They consist of two structures that are mostly semicircular, a few are rectangular.
According to legend, the Romans built these walls to protect not a city but a forest - the "Holy Forest of Augustus". And although this forest is a mystery today, the walls certainly stand, despite the time and the transformation of human society.
Augustus (63 BC – 14 AD) was the first emperor of ancient Rome. He replaced the Roman republic with an effective monarchy, while providing peace and stability during his reign.
Augustus was born on September 23, 63 BC in Rome, named Gaius Octavius. In 43 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated and according to his will, his nephew Octavius (also known as Octavian) was chosen as heir. Octavian fought to avenge Caesar, and in 31 BC defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium. From there he officially became the ruler of the Ancient Roman Empire.
Instead of following in Caesar’s footsteps as a dictator, Octavian built the foundation of the "principate," a monarchy in which the emperor would rule and remain in power for life. His power was hidden behind the constitutional system, he took the name Augustus, which means ’noble’ or ’quiet’. However, he took control of every aspect of the Roman empire, with the army under his direct command.
