A city whichs name is the cause of an ethimologic controversy, proposing as the most probable sources: Lug (celtic god); Luco (romanized); Lucus Augusti (reffers to the roman emperor who possibly founded the city: Augustus). Of the roman founding architecture it is necessary to visit its wall of which still stands the original perimeter. In this wall outstands a roman high relief near the "Puerta Nueva" (New Gate) and two arches with no windows near the "Puerta de San Pedro" (Saint Peter´s Gate) which reminds us the original structure with towers. The remainings of the roman thermal waters as well as some of the multifarious pillar capitals of the beautiful Plaza del Campo.
In the city´s Cathedral we may admire: the romanic side aisles from the 12th Century; the north façade gate of the purist romanic style; Maestro Francisco Moure´s Chorus (1624); the apsel chapell of Lugo´s patroness: La Virgen de los Ojos Grandes and the chapell of San Froilan whichs grave with a sculputure of Doña Froila mother of the patron saint of the city was carved before the 12th Century.
A visit to the Church of San Francisco (today known as Parish of San Pedro), is also recommended. The church is of a gothic style with remainings of a romanic style (entrance, apse and cloister) from the 14th Century. Also interesting is: the church of Santo Domingo (today Augustinas Recoletas) as well as the Plaza Mayor in the middle of the Town Hall building (end of 17th century), the old Seminary today a residence for the Franciscan order (1594) and the famous Círculo de las Artes (end of 19th Century).

 


VILAR DE DONAS

The church of the ancient family monastry stands and was donated by its former owners: Ares de Monterroso to the Order of Santiago. The wall paintings and Tomb Museum outstand.


CASTILLO DE PAMBRE:

A medieval castle in good consevation conditions thanks to the fact that it wasn´t attacked in the Irmandiño´s rise. It belonged to the noble family of this land: the Counts of Monterrey.


MELIDE:

In the town of Melide, the Parish Church of San Pedro should be visited, it is the architectonic remain of the ancient convent of Santi Espiritus that belonged to the Franciscan Tertiary Order, from the 14th Century. It is a compendium of different architectonic styles, it has a romanic pórtico, a gothic mayor chapell and the rest is of a renaissance style. The gothic wall paintings of the apse have been recently restored. You should also visit: the Hermitage of San Antonio of 1671 and the attached palace of the Marquis of Corvera from the same century. The Museum of Terra de Melide has an athropological interest.


TOQUES:

By the Monastry of San Antolín de Toques, in the Parish of Santa María da Capela, in the middle of an autoctonus mountain landscape and next to a rural cascade is a beautiful romanic church from the 12th Century with an interesting group of images of the same style.


SOBRADO DOS MONXES:

The Monastry of Sobrado dos Monxes was founded in the 10th Century by the Counts of Présaras. Since 1142 it belongs to the Cister Order: white monks. The ogival chapells, a romanic dinning-room and kitchen are quite remarkable. Close to the Monastry there´s an artificial lake that brings irrigation and drinking water to the Monastry by a stone drainpipe through which the river trouts used to come right up to the kitchen.


STA. MARÍA DE MEZONZO:

The parish church should be visited since it´s the only part of the ancient Monastry of Sta María de Mezonzo (9th Century) that still stands, it was called the Mountain Cathedral by the Archbishop Quiroga de Palacios, it has an extraordinary romanic apse.