Lugo and Bethlehem
2010-05-11 00:00:00
Country: Spain
Date of Agreement: 20 April 2006
Current Mayor: José Clemente López Orozco
Website: https://www.lugo.es
Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 96,678 in 2009, becoming the fourth most populated city in Galiza.
Located on a site above the Minho river and named after the Celtic god Lugus, it is the only city in Europe to be surrounded by completely intact Roman walls, which reach a height of 10 to 15 metres along a 2117 m m circuit ringed with 71 towers. The walk along the top is continuous round the circuit. These 3rd century walls are protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The bridge over the Minho is essentially of Roman date, though many repairs over the centuries have effaced its Roman character.
Other sources suggest that the name Lucus Augusti comes from the Latin word Lucus, which means "sacred grove", or "sacred forest", as the city was founded on the place of a small grove.
The city possesses a fine cathedral dedicated to St. Froilán, built about 1129, though the actual main facade and towers date only from 1769. Its elegant stalls were carved by Francisco Mouro in 1624. This cathedral enjoys the extraordinary privilege of having the Blessed Sacrament perpetually exposed, a privilege which is commemorated in the armorial bearings of the town. Besides the walls, sights include the cathedral, built between the 12th and the 18th centuries, and the Museo Provincial, which shows a display of Galician art and other building of the 18th century and the Palace of the arts (Circulo das Artes) and the 'Maior Square', which is the site of many cafes.