Corunna or in Spanish A Coruña - La Coruña: Corunna with its 250,000 inhabitants is the second most populated city in Galicia in northwest Spain. Corunnawas known by the Romans as Brigantia, where they built the city's emblematic lighthouse: The Tower of Hercules. In fact The Tower of Hercules is the oldest working lighthouse in the world.
A tour round the old quarter in Corunna (A Coruña) can start off from Plaza del Obelisco, in the centre, where you can appreciate the bustling local life while taking a walk along Calle Real and Calle Rego de Auga, the most traditional shopping streets, which run onto the magnificent Plaza de María Pita, where you can see the splendid, Art-Nouveau-style City Council Building.
This square is a good base for exploring the old quarter, to discover Corunna's most significant historical events, as the city's origins stem precisely from this area. Here, you can visit the Romanesque, 11th-century Church of Santiago, with Gothic elements from the 14th and 15th centuries; the suggestive Plaza de Azcárraga; the Collegiate of Santa María, built between the 12th and 15th centuries, very near the museum of Religious Art; or the square and convent of Santa Bárbara, which form a remarkably beautiful ensemble. Before leaving the old quarter, visitors should see the San Carlos Garden, beside the Military Museum and the Luís Seoane Foundation, a very pleasant, romantic park enclosed by an old defensive bastion that houses the tomb of General Moore, killed in the battle of Elviña during the French invasion. A visit is completed by the walk along the Avenida de A Mariña and its characteristic gallery-ornamented buildings.
THE PILGRIM WAY OF SAINT JAMES – El Camino de Santiago
Way of St. James - Camino de Santiago: The discovery of the remains of Saint James, the Apostle Santiago around 820 marked the beginning of the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, creating the Way of St. James, El Camino de Santiago. King Alfonso II, the Chaste, ordered the construction of a small church on the site of the discovery and the news spread among the community of believers and the Christian kingdoms of the western world. This was the start of the pilgrimages and the worship of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain.
FESTIVALS AND FIESTAS DECLARED OF TOURIST INTEREST IN GALICIA
Festivals and fiestas in Galicia in North Spain: Village festivals that have received the distinction of being of Tourist Interest are events that are known for their display of cultural values and attention to popular tradition, with special regard for ethnological features and are valued as a tourist attraction. Among the factors considered are the number of years the fiesta has been celebrated, its continuity over time, and the originality and diversity of its programme of activities.