Lugo's plazas, squares and gardens
Lugo's most impressive municipal area is the "prazo Maior" which lies within the old town walls.
This large rectangular square is close to the cathedral and one of the main gates into the historic district.
The "prazo Maior" has the town's clock tower and the "Casa Consistorial" building at one end and some regal looking buildings lining it at either side. A series a cafes and some restaurants overlook this piazza and the Tourist Office is also close by. The photo to the left is taken on the prazo de Maior which was being refurbished at the time.
The Maior square is built into a slight incline and has a large lawned area with flowers and shrubs as its central feature. During our last visit (August 2005), the plaza was being re-landscaped and paved and we have yet to witness the finished results. An interesting feature that runs down one side of this square is a series of commemorative plaques attached to stone pedestals. There are approximately a dozen of these plaques and each one represents a famous Galician figure from history.
To the right is a photo of the plaque placed in honour of Rosalia de Castro. To find out more about her, click on this link
Rosalia de Castro
Parque Rosalia de Castro
If you spend any time in Galicia, or reading guides like this one, you will quickly realize that it is difficult to travel anywhere in the region without encountering something dedicated
to, or commemorating, this famous Galician poet. For its part, Lugo has named its alameda (main town garden or park) after her and you will find it just outside the city walls (see left).
The Rosalia de Castro park gets you out of the main hub of Lugo and into the dappled light of a gardened area with many trees, the obligatory fountains and some tasteful plantings. Originally built in1925 and named after Alfonso XII, this park is 23 hectares in area and is close to Lugo's Santiago gate.
There is a large café at the entrance to the park and if you wonder to its far end you will find yourself on a mirrador (balcony area) with views looking down to the "Mino" river below. You can also catch a glimpse of Lugo's Roman Spa (Termas Romanas) and an ancient bridge dating from a similar period. The park has a music stand plus children's play and picnic areas.
At the time of our visit (August 2005), the area immediately below the park (and the retaining wall that support the balcony promenade) were having some works undertaken on them. We suspect that this might have been some additional landscaping.
Other squares
Lugo is by no means a large city and it is certainly not on the same scale as a Santiago, A Coruna or Vigo. This fact is reflected in the size of the old district and the number of plazas it has to offer. The praza "Soedade" and adjacent praza of "St. Domingo" can be found in the middle of the walled town, two further squares lie one either side of the cathedral, whilst another small piazza called the "Campo Castelo" sits just inside the city walls by one of the main gates.
Left, a final image looking across towards the main "prazo de Maior" in the old town of Lugo.
Return to Lugo Galicia main page.
