La Coruña, coruna information
History
Placed opposite to the Atlantic Ocean, La Coruña it is a city
whose history guards a narrow link with its former fishing and
mercantile port. The peninsula where the old city stands, along
with the Hercules' Tower, one of the symbols of the city, and
an interesting Romanesque set of streets, squares and medieval
churches. The Aquarium Finisterrae, the Domus and the Museum of
the Sciences are some of the spaces that show the most modern
and playful face of the capital, which offers one of its more
beautiful prints in the wide beaches of Riazor and Orzán. All
this is completed by a gastronomy recognized in the whole country,
marked by the excellence of the seafood and meats proceeding from
the interior of the province.
Even if the origins of the history was celtic, the history of
the city started to be interesting in Roman times, the colonisers
made most of the strategic position and soon La Coruña
became quite important in sea trade. An example of this period
is La Torre de Hercules, which has become one of the symbol of
the city.(built on the 2nd century by Trajan).The last time this
monument was restored was in 1791 by the architect Giannini. The
influence of the Romans was very significant and affected all
areas of life -culture, language , religion , .given the fact
that the settlement lasted for so long.
After the roman occupation there is no information about this city , it would seem that it was invaded from the north as the rest of Spain in the 5th century AD, suffering the same destruction as other cities.
For la Coruña the Arab invasion in the 8th century didn't last because of the local resistance.
The medieval town: One of the best examples of Romanesque architecture
preserved today is the church of Santiago, that was builst in
the 12th century , it is the oldest in the city which has had
additions from the 14th and 15th centuries.A polychrome sculpture
of the Apostle Santiago from the 13th century is in its nave of
pointed arches. Due to the significance of its architectural interest,
it was declared a Historic-Artistic monument.
The church Santa María del Campo in the high part of the town
centre is another significant building dated from the 12th and
13th centuries. It is important to visit its Museum of religious
art with really old works dated between the 12th and 15th centuries.
La Coruña guide
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Coruña gastronomy |