And Coruna Spain. What hotels in A Coruña have nice views? Where is the cruise port
Traveling around Galicia on my own allowed me to get to La Coruña, understand why it is called the “Crystal City”, see the main attractions of A Coruña, find out if the local shopping is good; to find out more, read the report on the trip to A Coruña
In my opinion, a trip to Galicia should definitely include A Coruña - if the opportunity arises to get to the northwestern corner of Spain, along the famous pilgrimage route, you should use it recklessly. Of course, Santiago de Compostela comes first, but the second largest city in the region is also worth a visit.
The history of La Coruña is such that it’s easy to lure tourists with it. To begin with, you can note that the Celts founded the settlement, and the Romans, who captured the Iberian Peninsula, turned the town into a major center of maritime trade. From those distant times, on the shores of the Atlantic there remains a large lighthouse, the so-called Tower of Hercules, the real pride of the townspeople, although they probably regret that it is not possible to include in the attractions of La Coruña the building where Julius Caesar himself once lived - if it survives, then here, for sure, curious people would have swarmed.
The early Middle Ages became a difficult period for all of Spain due to the Arab invasion; residents of the Atlantic coast also suffered from Vikings and Norman pirates; The population of the former Roman colony then declined to a minimum.
Only at the end of the 12th century, life on the shores of the convenient bay began to flourish again thanks to the efforts of King Alfonso IX of Leon and Galicia - the monarch ordered the city to be repopulated. The historical core was then reliably covered by the newly built walls of La Coruña, and from then on the inhabitants could not be afraid of raids. Having received a number of privileges, the townspeople began active trade, and the local port turned into the largest of the Spanish harbors. From here, by the way, in 1588 the Invincible Armada sailed to the shores of England.
I still chose the train, preferring to save time and after spending a little more than thirty minutes in a comfortable, modern carriage, I found myself at the A Corun a station - it is useless to flip through the Spanish railway schedule in search of the name La Coruna, since the official name of A Coruña is in the Galician dialect looks different. An examination of the vast space, entirely covered by a gigantic ceiling vault, showed that there is a lot of space at the station, but there is little sense - suffice it to say that in the so-called waiting room there are no seats for passengers at all; Then I caught my eye on the benches standing in the left wing of the building, next to the ticket office, but there are exactly three of them, that is, only 9 people can wait sitting.
Close to the train station is the A Coruña bus station; to get there, you need to cross a specially constructed pedestrian bridge over the highway; The most convenient way to get to it is this: after leaving the terminal, cross the square obliquely to the right and then the crossing will be ahead behind the round square. We will do so when the time comes, following in my footsteps, to board the bus to Ferrol. In the meantime, you need to get to the city center, where the main attractions of La Coruña are located. As a person who has walked many kilometers along local streets and avenues, I recommend doing the whole journey by bus, fortunately line 2 brings you from the station exactly to the old quarters.
The price of a ticket for transport in La Coruña is small, 1 30 euros, and it is better to part with this nonsense amount than to waste precious time on foot, especially since on the way there will be no places to see in La Coruña, at least at first. I went for a walk, hoping that I would immediately be greeted by the beautiful landscapes praised by the guidebooks, but it turned out that the crystal city presents its ceremonial views much further, on the other side of the harbor, approximately where the cruise ship berths are located in La Coruña. On the way there, I first had to walk for quite a long time past cargo warehouses, and I did not get any pleasure from them.
In passing, I will say that during the excursion around La Coruña I found as many as two offices that dealt with tourists on duty, one was listed as city, the other was organized by the administration of Galicia. The provincial office is based at the Plaza de Ourense, near the city's waterfront, and issues maps, brochures and other materials on cities throughout the region. The local tourist office, on the contrary, focuses on information about where to eat, where to go shopping and which hotels are best to choose in A Coruña. You can get to the source of knowledge right on the main square; the corresponding sign is clearly visible if you stand with your back to the city hall building and look to the left.
I still had to see the best ensemble of the city, but for a long time there was no talk about the sights of La Coruña: the best thing I managed to see along the way was the Church of San Pedro, standing on Rua Fernando Rey - this is the direct road to the embankment, there’s no way past no way to get through. The building is large in size and clearly visible, but this is where its advantages end. Having assessed most of the objects that can be seen in La Coruña, I can only sadly state that those who built this temple in the middle of the 20th century did not even bother to study what other religious buildings looked like. Their work turned out to be inconspicuous, devoid of features characteristic of the architecture of Galicia and therefore completely unmemorable. In my opinion, it will be enough to look at the Church of San Pedro from the height of the viaduct stretching past, and that will be the end of it.
What I really liked was the seaport area - I will skip the transition along its cargo part and go straight to Rua Canton Grande, where the most beautiful houses are located and where most of the photographs from A Coruña are taken - it is there that it becomes clear where the nickname came from " crystal city." The fact is that the facades of the local houses are all glazed, and in the sun the entire embankment seems sparkling.
The coastal scenery is really nice, and in addition there is a pleasant park along the sea front. For some reason it is marked on the map as Jardin de La Rosaleda, although I didn’t see any roses during my walk. But there were a bunch of palm trees, several interesting sculptures, a nice cafe and many nice corners with benches. Since the section of the embankment where the cruise ships dock in La Coruña is located nearby, I think the place is perfect for final gatherings and gathering before departure, if you managed to finish your stay a little earlier.
Sitting under the palm trees and enjoying the sea breeze was damn nice, and only the prospect of not seeing the sights of A Coruña made me leave Parque Rosaleda. From there I quickly moved towards the yacht harbor and soon found myself in the central square of the city. According to tradition, in many localities in Spain such a place is simply called Plaza Mayor, but here everything is different. The heart of La Coruña bears Maria de Pita, Joan of Arc of the local spill. She took an active part in the fight against the English invaders, and when her husband, who commanded the troops, was killed, she personally inspired the soldiers to fight. Her dedication was appreciated and noted by King Philip II himself , and grateful fellow countrymen who defeated the enemy named the main square of the city in honor of the heroine.
For some reason, the monument to Mary is not installed in the center of the square space, it is slightly shifted to the south. The woman herself also looks strange: the sculptor sculpted her in antique attire with a spear in her hands, and if you don’t know how the history of La Coruña developed, you can easily decide that this is Pallas Athena.
Calling the building on the north side of Praza de Mari a Pita "city hall" is somehow a misnomer; A direct translation is more suitable for it - “municipal palace”. The monumental building is quite capable of passing for the residence of a European monarch; its appearance also contains obvious features of Italian cathedrals: there are as many as three domes, one in the center, two on the sides. In a word, there is no more beautiful sight in La Coruña, and it is completely impossible to believe that the city hall is only a hundred years old when you look at its magnificent façade.
Having finished admiring the nobility of the Palacio Municipal, you need to go around it to the left and go to another attraction of La Coruña, the Church of St. George.
A block further north is the Church of San Nicolas. Even the most competent Spanish historians find it difficult to name the exact date of its foundation, limiting themselves to statements like “around the 18th century.” Personally, in my opinion, the building is good even without a specific date, just in fact: it looks great. I like it when everything is smart and in place - the style is impeccable, the decor is where it’s needed, the symmetry is perfect. It would be worth turning the openings on the sides of the entrance into niches and decorating them with statues, and then extremely laudatory words could be dedicated to this landmark of La Coruña.
What else you can see in La Coruña is the Church of Santiago. It is located southeast of Piazza Maria Pita, at the beginning of Calle Parrote - this is the Old Quarter, locally called Cidade Vella. When I found myself there, I could not believe that in front of me was one of the oldest and most revered temples in the city - the rather modest appearance of the building did not allow me to suspect it of anything like that. And all because the church, built back in the 12th century, has reached our time almost in its original form, without fundamental changes, hence its unassuming appearance. Further, the Iglesia de Santiago is dedicated, as you might imagine, to Saint James, who is considered the patron saint of Spain, that is, on the Iberian Peninsula this figure eclipses all other apostles. The combination of these two factors clearly places the temple among the most important attractions of A Coruña.
After appreciating one example of Romanesque architecture, I moved on to another, making a short trek to the north. There, on Calle de Santa Maria, stands one of the most interesting buildings in the city. Facts say that the construction of the church of Santa Maria del Campo began in the 12th century and then it was planned to give it a typical appearance for that time. But since the last workers left the construction site only two centuries after the foundation was laid, this led to the appearance of typically Gothic features in the appearance of the temple. The mixture turned out to be quite good, not explosive, of course, but rather restrained. I was just unlucky with the weather, because due to the cloudiness, the photographs of the church turned out to be unsuccessful - judging by the photographs of other travelers, Santa Maria del Campo looks very advantageous on sunny days.
As you know, various kinds of provincials often sin by excessively inflating their own merits, both real and imaginary. In this regard, a good example of this type of activity is the Military Museum of the Galicia Region. The history of Spain tells us that in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula there were no large-scale, serious wars, just a few relatively modest battles, and yet local authorities organized an exhibition and included it in the list of places that, in their opinion, can be seen in La Coruña. Of course, you can see it, but only if you have nothing better to do: there is zero interactivity in the museum halls, and not everyone is interested in looking at uniforms, models of ships and forts, and edged weapons. However, I’m not sure that even the most notorious militarists will be satisfied with a visit to the Regional Military Museum of Galicia.
From one military landmark of La Coruña it’s a stone’s throw to another: between Plaza Carlos I, where the Military Museum is located, and the San Anton Fortress, a couple of minutes’ walk; Along the way, you can appreciate what the city fortifications looked like, since the path runs along the ancient wall. I was expecting grand views from the citadel that protected the entrance to the harbour, and was very disappointed to see squat bastions. One would have to realize that at the end of the 16th century, when the order was given to strengthen the defenses of La Coruña, the mighty towers, along with the rest of the medieval paraphernalia, had already gone out of fashion, and therefore the San Anton castle turned out to be more functional than pretty.
After the fortress of La Coruña lost its military significance, prisoners were kept in its casemates for some time, and then a Historical Museum was established, introducing visitors to a wide range of exhibits. Of greatest interest to tourists are the recreated interiors of past centuries, although the finds of archaeologists should not be discounted.
Among other things, I also wanted to get to the very end of Avenida Navarra, where the Tower of Hercules is located in La Coruña, but since the weather had completely turned bad, I decided that it was not reasonable to make such ends in the coming rain and gave the second part of the day to a trip to Ferrol . If it were a sunny day, you could easily walk straight to the oldest landmark of La Coruña, and from there return by road along the picturesque coastline rugged with rocks. By the way, the city is known not only as a port, but also as a resort: the beaches of La Coruña are scattered around the area, the largest piece of the coast stretches parallel to Pedro Barrie de la Maza Avenue, due west of Cidade Vella. And there, to the west of the old quarters, it is most convenient to look for food. In my opinion, if you walk along Ru a Franja and Calle del Riego de Agua flowing from the main square, the question of where you can eat in A Coruña will disappear by itself. It is full of restaurants and cafes of all levels. And if, for example, the restaurant “O Celeiro”, where you can try how fish is prepared in Galicia, with its 30 euros for lunch, seems like an expensive establishment, then in the cafe “Marina”, located on a parallel street in Riego de Agua, they serve seafood much cheaper - Having paid 5 euros for a hefty sandwich, you feel quite full.
I found a funny place called “Smooy” on Calle de Bailen: the white and pink color scheme would be perfect for a romantic girl’s blog, but inside the ice cream maker these colors looked a bit wild. The price tags also looked strange: they don’t charge 2.50 euros per ball even on the Champs Elysees...
Also, while looking for a place to eat in La Coruña, I came across the Deportivo bar: apparently, its owner did not bother with the enticing sign and gave his brainchild the name of the local football team: Depor, as its fans affectionately call it, periodically makes a rustling noise in the Spanish “example”. I think on match days the bar won’t be crowded inside, but if the tour has already passed, it’s definitely worth visiting the establishment, as the atmosphere there is memorable: flags, photographs of Deportivo football players and other paraphernalia hang on the walls. It immediately becomes clear that football in Spain is not just a game!
It remains to add that a cup of coffee in La Coruña will cost about 1.20-1.50 euros, for a glass of beer you need to pay 1.60-2 euros, local wine costs about 12-15 euros per bottle. In stores, drinks are much cheaper; the same brand “Ribeiro”, the most famous wine produced in Galicia, can be bought for 6-7 euros in retail outlets. True, I still need to find where they sell food in La Coruña, because personally, during my entire walk, I only saw one supermarket, and even then it was not in the center, but near the station. It seems that not far from the main square of the city, at 23 Ru a Panadeiras 23, there is a branch of the “Eroski” chain, but it is small, it is more of a mini-market with a meager selection of food. So, when asked where you can buy drinks and food in La Coruña, based on my personal experience, I can only say with confidence about the area around the railway station. By the way, supermarkets in Spain are often cleverly organized: visitors are directed to those cashiers who are free, that is, there is no need, like ours, to take a place at a certain checkout and then worry that it is broken or the neighboring lines are moving faster...
Continuing the topic of food, I will say that food prices in Spain are quite reasonable, and besides, you can always find discounted products. Thanks to this, a liter box of orange juice is sometimes available for 70-80 euro cents, a hundred-gram package of vegetable salad will cost 1-1.50 euros, Viennese rolls cost 20-30 euro cents.
Regarding where you can buy souvenirs in La Coruña, I will say that although the shops on the main square offer a large assortment, the prices there are greatly inflated. For example, in the Silvela store, located behind the monument to Maria de Pita, magnets cost 3-4 euros, and if you walk around, in other places it’s quite possible to find them for 2 euros. The picture is approximately the same with other memorable things; mugs with images of some landmark of La Coruña cost 6-7 euros at Praza de Mari a Pita, and I saw them in the Merca store at Rua Real 34 for 4.50 euros. It seems like the savings are small, but the Russian proverb says that a penny saves a ruble...
Spoons, mugs, magnets, plates, of course, bring back pleasant memories later, but what you need to bring from a trip to Spain are accessories associated with flamenco dancing - castanets, fans, shawls, bright scarves, jewelry. The souvenir shops of La Coruña are a godsend in this regard, and by paying only 5-8 euros, a visitor to Galicia receives a wonderful gift for the home, for the family...
When it comes to shopping in La Coruña, the already mentioned Rua Real and the Rua Galera, which runs parallel to it, are superior.
There, a walker constantly encounters boutiques, outlets and other retail outlets - the city is considered a major center of modern fashion. Few people know that the first branch of the popular Zara chain opened in La Coruña; the head office of Inditex, which owns the Bershka, Massimo Dutti, and Stradivarius brands, is also located here.
In other words, just by listing these names you can understand whether shopping is good in A Coruña.
I will add that most tourists believe that outlets in Spain are concentrated in the area of Madrid and Barcelona, but during my travels in Galicia I came across corresponding signs several times. There are outlets in La Coruña; I found the New Stock office at 10 Calle del Riego de Agua and the prices for clothes from Versace, D&G, Armani pleasantly surprised me. In other places it turned out that you can buy shoes made in Spain for 10-12-15 euros.
I made the acquaintance of this couple precisely because I wanted to hide from bad weather while waiting for a flight to Ferrol: the terminal itself, from where buses from A Coruña depart, was not at all suitable as a place for gatherings. So my parting with the second largest city in Galicia turned out to be a bit messy...
Our parking was from 8 am to 5 pm. For me, this port turned out to be the most uninteresting. Perhaps we should have gone to Santiago de Compostela. But I thought that we should see La Coruña, since it was our first time there. Then, of course, I regretted it, because... The city is unremarkable, ordinary and more modern.
We didn’t make a plan for a walk around the city. We got off the ship and went wherever we looked. First we walked along the city promenade (La avenida de la Marina). Its peculiarity lies in the unique architecture of the buildings, which overlook the embankment and stretch along the entire street. Durable glass was used to decorate houses, which at first was used only for military needs. The goal was to protect the home from the cold wind from the sea, while maintaining the flow of sunlight. The glazed snow-white facades of houses have become a real decoration of the city.
From the embankment we turned into the streets of the city. We reached the Church of Santiago (Iglesia de Santiago). It is considered the oldest Christian building in the city; according to historical data, it was erected in the 12th century. In 1972, the temple was declared a national monument. Built in Romanesque style. Over the centuries, the building has undergone numerous changes due to fires and constant reconstructions.
Then the Cathedral of St. Mary del Campo (La Colegiata de Santa Maria del Campo). It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries by order of sailors, who at that time formed one of the most powerful guilds of the city. Sailors often came to the church with requests for a good voyage or with gratitude for the successful completion of a sea voyage. The temple got its name because it was built outside the city walls (campo means field in Spanish). The cathedral was built in the Romanesque style; its facade is very similar to the Church of Santiago. Inside the temple there is a museum of religious art.
Along one of the streets we came out to Maria Pita Square. It was designed in the mid-nineteenth century and covers an area of more than 10,000 m². The main building of the square is the Municipal Palace of the city (Palacio municipal). The luxurious monumental building of an eclectic style was erected at the beginning of the 20th century. In the center of the square there is a monument to Maria Pita (Monumento a Maria Pita), who led the defense of the city from an attack by the British army in 1589. Legend has it that Maria Pita encouraged the population to join her force with the words: “Whoever has honor, follow me,” which demoralized the English force of 20,000 men. The bronze sculpture is presented with the spear with which she killed the English lieutenant. In her other hand she holds the lifeless body of her husband Gregorio de Racamond. The total height of the monument is 9.3 meters, and its weight is about 30 tons.
To the side of the Municipal Palace is the Church of San Jorge, built in the Baroque style at the end of the 17th century.
So, wandering through the streets, we unexpectedly came out onto the embankment on the other side of the city. We went along the coastline. The embankment offers views of the modern buildings of La Coruña.
The beach area ended and views of the rocky Atlantic coast began. Soon we reached the Tower of Hercules.
The Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hercules) is a unique and very valuable historical landmark of A Coruña. This is the oldest Roman lighthouse in the world and the only one that is still in use for its intended purpose. It was built in the second half of the 1st century, and tells us that the ancient Romans actively used lighthouses to navigate the ocean at the beginning of the millennium. In 2009, the Tower of Hercules was included in the UNESCO heritage list. This is one of three operating lighthouses in Spain. The Tower of Hercules is shaped like a prism with a square base and reaches a height of 57 meters. The walls of the lighthouse rise above the Bay of Betanzos, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The tower is built on a hill, so it offers a magnificent panoramic view of La Coruña. A visit to the museum and the interiors of the tower costs 3 euros (free on Mondays).
We did not climb the Tower. When we approached it, the sky suddenly became cloudy and everything around turned grey. I didn’t want to look at the dark city from above.
According to maps.me, we saw that the port can be reached by bus and went to the stop. By bus number 3 for 1.50 euros each we got to the embankment, which we had come to earlier during our walk around the city. Since the bus took a long route, we decided that it would be faster to go straight through the streets to the port.
It was possible to walk to the fortress of St. Anthony (Castillo de San Antón), but the weather was unclear, it seemed that it would soon rain. And we returned to the ship.
In the northwest, located on the Atlantic coast, 159 kilometers north of and 70 km from. Population – 246,028 people (2011).
A settlement in the area of the modern city of La Coruña existed even before the arrival of the ancient Romans here in the 2nd century BC, under whom it was an important sea trading port.
In the second century AD, the Romans built a lighthouse here, which has survived to this day and is now called the “Tower of Hercules.”
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the port lost its importance and in the 7th and 8th centuries the city was nothing more than a small fishing village.
In 991, the construction of defensive military structures began here, but the official founding date of the city is considered to be 1208, it was then that King Alfonso IX founded the city of Crunia here, which was actively growing and developing.
Today, La Coruña is the richest region of Galicia, a large busy port and a popular tourist destination.
Tourists are attracted to the city by its sandy beaches, developed infrastructure, good shopping and interesting historical sights.
Last changes: 11/10/2012Beaches of A Coruña
The city has several good sandy beaches, the largest and most important of which are Orsan (Orzan) And Riazor, located in a bay on the western side of the peninsula. Here, next to Orsan, there is a small beach Matadero.
Waves (and not small ones) are a frequent occurrence on the main city beaches, making them ideal for windsurfing and other water sports.
North of the main beaches, at the foot of the Tower of Hercules, there is a sandy beach in a tiny sheltered bay. Las Lapas.
And not far from it, on the eastern opposite side of the peninsula, there is another one, but with developed infrastructure - a beach San Amaro.
In 2011, all the beaches in La Coruña that were overcrowded above were awarded a blue flag (a sign of cleanliness). Perhaps the only drawback of a beach holiday here is that the water in the Atlantic is still not as warm as in the Mediterranean Sea.
Sights of La Coruña
The Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules) is a lighthouse considered to be the oldest operating lighthouse in the world. The lighthouse was originally built at the beginning of the 2nd century AD, but during the reconstruction of 1791 it was completely rebuilt in the classical style, but the architects managed to preserve important parts of the original Roman structure. The tower is a symbol of the city and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The tower received its name in honor of the ancient Roman name of the hero of ancient Greek myths, Hercules.
The structure is 55 meters high and stands on a rocky peninsula rising 57 meters above the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The historical complex of the Tower of Hercules, in addition to the lighthouse itself, includes a sculpture park, an ancient Roman structure, a Muslim cemetery and rock paintings dating back to the Iron Age.
Also of interest to tourists is the historical center of La Coruña (Old Town), located on a small peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. Here it is Maria Pita Square, around which several important attractions are concentrated: City Hall (Ayuntamiento), Church of St. George (Iglesia de San Jorge), made in the Romanesque style with Gothic elements, as well as buildings with magnificent glazed white balconies.
San Anton Castle (Castillo de San Antón) is a well-preserved city fortress built in the 16th century. Currently, the building houses historical and archaeological museums.
Last changes: 11/11/2012Video La Coruña
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La Coruña, or A Coruña(Galis. and Spanish) A Coruña, unofficially Spanish La Coruña) is a large city in northwestern Spain, a resort and port. The administrative center of the province of the same name as part of the autonomous community of Galicia. An important historical port located on the northwestern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The city center is located on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. At the mouth of the A Coruña River there is a port, followed by the city beaches of Riazor and Orsan.
With a population of 243,870 (2015), it is the second most populous municipality in Galicia after Vigo. The city is the center of the agglomeration of the same name, uniting 655,251 inhabitants - more than half of the total population of the province.
The population density of the city is a record for Galicia and all of Spain (6471.32 inhabitants per km²), since the municipality has an area of only 37.83 km². Most of the industrial sites are located in the border town of Arteixo, one of the most industrialized centers of Galicia. Thus, A Coruña is focused mainly on the service sector. The secondary sector of the economy is represented by the port of La Coruña and the Repsol oil refinery. The city has a southern oceanic climate, with moderate temperatures all year round.
The city is home to the Supreme Court of Galicia, the office of the provincial governor and the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Galicia.
The municipality is bounded to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by the mouth of the A Coruña River and the municipality of Oleiros, to the south by the municipality of Culleredo, and to the west by Arteixo.
Geography
Topography and relief
La Coruña has a unique topography - the center is located on a T-shaped peninsula, connected by an isthmus to a plain and steep hills to the west and east. Currently, some of them are already within the city limits after its expansion after 1940, while others have been converted into green areas (Bens Hill and San Pedro Mountain). The municipality also includes higher elevations such as the San Pedro Mountains as well as some islands such as the San Pedro Archipelago.
Hydrography
La Coruña is almost completely washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean: from the east, from Orsan beach, to the west, to the mouth of the Coruña River. The Monelos River also flows through the municipality, enclosed in an underground pipeline and formed by the confluence of the Mesoiro River with other small canals passing through the area of Cuatro Caminos.
In the city center, next to the Opera Palace and Santa Margherita Park, there is an artificial waterfall.
Flora and fauna
The gardens in the city center, such as Los Jardines de Mendes Nunez, San Carlos and Santa Margarita, are very rich in birds such as the great tit, pigeon, wood pigeon and thrush. In the outskirts there are buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels. There are many seagulls on the coast.
Goldfinches live in the parks of San Pedro and Bens Cortigueiro, and in the summer turtle doves nest in the gorse thickets, lizards, rabbits and even foxes are found. The breakwater opposite San Anton Castle provides refuge at high tide for an impressive number of aquatic birds, including waders, godwits and cormorants. Red and calcareous algae grow on the beaches and rocks along the coast, and crabs, starfish and mussels live in the cracks of the rocks and on the high tide.
Off the coast you can see dolphins and even whales, which sometimes approach the beaches
Ecological disasters
In 1976, the first of the maritime disasters that affected the ecology of the city's coastline occurred. On May 12 of the same year, a tanker ran aground Urquiola, which caught fire when it tried to approach the port of La Coruña. Authorities tried to drag the tanker out to sea, but the ship's tanks exploded, causing an oil spill that subsequently caught fire. As a result of this incident, the city's shores were contaminated with petroleum products for many weeks.
On the morning of December 3, 1992, the tanker Mar Egeo (Aegean Sea) entered the port of La Coruna under unfavorable weather conditions, with wind gusts of more than 100 km/h winds and visibility of less than 100 m. Due to the storm, the tanker made an erroneous maneuver and ran aground on the rocky shallows of Jacentes, several hundred meters from the shore at the entrance to the port. According to the captain, this happened at 4:50.
At 8:00 the ship ran aground at the Tower of Hercules, near the entrance to the harbour. At 9:45 the ship split into two parts and soon caught fire. The captain authorized the evacuation of 28 crew members, who were brought ashore by rescue helicopters. There were no casualties, but about 300 families had to be evacuated from coastal houses. A cloud of smoke from the ship obscured the sky over the city for several hours, while winds drove them towards Ferrol in the afternoon.
The lack of barriers to oil spills and the destruction of some of them did not stop the spread of the oil spill, which reached the mouths of the A Coruña, Ares, Betanzos and Ferrol rivers. In total, about 300 km of coastline were damaged, also putting more than 4,000 fishermen out of work and destroying coastal aquaculture. The damage from the accident was estimated at 300 million euros.
Stern Mar Egeo washed ashore at the Tower of Hercules, and for many years it was one of the attractions. She was eventually sold at auction as scrap metal to an Asturian company, and the tanker's anchor is kept in the city's Aquarium.
Compensation for those affected by the accident began to be paid in 2002 after a long legal battle in the Supreme Court of Galicia.
On September 10, 1996, a mountain of garbage at the city landfill in the Bens area collapsed, covering a dam and several buildings. 200,000 cubic meters of earth and debris buried several cars and dozens of boats. The incident caused civil unrest as an unbearable stench blanketed the city for several days.
In November 2002, a tanker sank off the coast of the city. Prestige, and the oil spill reached the coast, although the environmental damage this time was not as serious as in previous cases.
Bens Beach is currently the object of concern from environmentalists. Next to it are the already mentioned treatment plants, as well as a refinery, a wastewater treatment center and wastewater pumps for the city of Arteixo. In 2005, more than 1,000 liters of diesel fuel from an oil refinery washed up on the beach. The fuel was first dumped into the Napal River and then settled on the beach. Greenpeace filed a lawsuit against the owner of the refinery, the company Repsol.
Story
Pre-Roman and Roman eras
There is evidence of pre-Roman settlements in the area occupied by the city today (Castro de Elvinha and Alto de Santa Margarita). The indigenous population of the region was, according to Strabo, the Celtic tribe of the Artabrians.
The Gulf of La Coruña is mentioned in the works of classical geographers under the name Portus Magnus Artabrorum and was one of the key points on the trade route along the coast of Europe. Toponym mentioned in the works of historians Brigantium, probably corresponds to the current A Coruña suburb of Betanzos. Dio Cassius writes about Caesar's arrival on the shores of Brigantium. In the 2nd century, the Romans built a lighthouse on Cape La Coruña, the current Tower of Hercules. Remains of a necropolis and other Roman buildings have recently been discovered in the areas of Pescaderia and Monte Alto.
Middle Ages and Renaissance
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the region was settled by the Suevi and Visigoths. The Arab invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 barely affected the area, which in less than a hundred years became part of the Christian kingdom of Asturias. Bermudo II established his control over the coast and the "Island of Faro" (actually the peninsula on which the Tower of Hercules stands), but between the 9th and 10th centuries the region experienced periodic raids by Viking fleets, causing an exodus of population to Betanzos, under the protection of the landscape.
In 991, a port appeared where pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela arrived. In 1208, the city was conquered by King Alfonso IX of León, who resettled the inhabitants of the neighboring city of El Burgo to the site of the current Old Town, rebuilt the city, giving it a name Krunia, and granted him trading privileges. Thus, La Coruña became an enclave, subject directly to the king, free from vassalage to the clergy or feudal lords of Galicia.
A few decades later, his successor Alfonso X granted the city land rights and the right to sell salt without paying taxes, which led to its economic prosperity.
During the reign of Enrique III at the end of the 14th century, walls were erected that protected the city in the following centuries. Some of their remains have been preserved, as have three gates that led from the city to the Parrote embankment. This is how the bastion known as the Old Fortress ( Fortaleza Vieja).
Already in the 15th century, Juan II granted A Coruña the status of a city (1446). Charles I attended a meeting of the local Cortes and opened a spice trading house in the city.
New time
In the 17th-18th centuries, the continuous wars of the Spanish monarchy led to increased taxes and an increase in the burden on the population. The city fell into decay.
In 1588, the Invincible Armada left the port of La Coruña, and after its defeat the city was attacked by the pirates of Francis Drake. After the burning of the monasteries of San Domingo, San Tomas and Pescaderia on May 19, the British left.
In the 16th-17th centuries, La Coruña became the most important center of Spanish trade with the New World. In 1620, Philip III created a navigation school for boys, and in 1682 restoration work was carried out in the Tower of Hercules.
In the War of the Spanish Succession, the city again suffered from increased taxes and conscription of the population into the army. The war ended in 1716 and the city began to recover thanks to the manufacturing and export activities of Catalan entrepreneurs who settled in the city.
During the reign of Charles III, Cadiz's monopoly on trade with the colonies in America was eliminated. Thirteen ports, including La Coruña, benefited from the abolition of this monopoly. From this point on, the city began to develop economically, and the king built a wall along the borders of the Pescaderia district (its remains are currently separated by the beaches of Riazor and Orsan). It was in this century that the first manufactory opened in the city: a tobacco factory was opened (it operated until the 1890s).
Recent history
War for independence
In the first half of the 19th century, the city experienced a significant increase in population from 12,000 in the early years to approximately 20,000 in 1850.
On November 30, 1803, an expedition led by Francisco Javier Balmis set off for America to distribute the smallpox vaccine that had been created several years earlier on the continent.
During the Napoleonic invasion in May 1808, the city resisted French occupation. The patriotic uprising began on May 30, when a crowd, excited by calls of indignation, raised Spanish flags in honor of the name day of King Ferdinand VII. Captain-General Don Antonio Filanieri tried to negotiate with the patriots, but they entered his palace. Filanieri yielded to their pressure and eventually left the palace through a side door to take refuge in the monastery of Saint-Domingue. A Defense Council was formed in the city, as in other large cities in Spain.
In 1809, the city was occupied by Napoleon's French army and liberated by the English army of General John Moore.
August 19, 1815 Juan Diaz Porlier, nicknamed Marquesito, made a speech demanding the restoration of the Spanish Constitution of 1812, with the support of the bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. However, on August 22, the liberal military betrayed him, arrested him and took him to the Castle of San Anton, where he was sentenced to death and executed by hanging in the former Plaza de España on October 3, 1815.
Carlist wars
During the First Carlist War, A Coruña remained loyal to Queen Isabella II. The city was besieged several times by Carlist expeditions. Following the end of the conflict, Queen Elizabeth II awarded the city the status of provincial capital in 1849.
Late 19th century
At the end of the 19th century, the development of new industries and banks created the basis for the modern appearance of the city. At that time, figures such as Emilio Pardo Basan or Aureliano Linares Ribas (deputy head of the Liberal Party) increased the city's prestige and made significant financial donations during difficult times for the population of A Coruña.
After the loss of the last Spanish colonies in 1898, many Galicians who had previously settled in the Caribbean, the so-called "Indians", returned with their money to the city, wanting to recreate the urban luxury they knew in cities such as Havana or Santiago. -Cuba.
20th century: annexation of the municipality of Osa
In the 20th century, the demographic and economic rise of the city was emphasized by the annexation of the municipality of Osa on January 28, 1912: the annexed territories accounted for more than 70% of the current territory of the municipality. Industrial facilities, a port, a business network and city services were actively opening on new lands. A Coruña became the capital of Galicia's architectural avant-garde at the turn of the century, after buildings with Art Nouveau facades became widespread in the city. In 1930 the company Telefónica opened the central street of San Andrés, designed by the architect José Maria de la Vega Sampera.
Second Republic (1931-1936)
Municipal elections on April 12, 1931 brought victory to the Republicans: the Republican Federation of Galicia, founded by the lawyer and politician Santiago Casares Quiroga, received 31 seats in the Cortes, another 2 seats went to independent republican deputies, one seat went to the socialists and only 6 to the monarchists.
In the 1930s, the city was gripped by a wave of anti-religious protests. On the afternoon of July 2, 1931, a crowd burned down the Capuchin Church. The intervention of the Civil Guard prevented this from happening in the Dominican monastery. On September 12, 1933, a bomb exploded at the back door of the San Andres Church, but the explosion did not cause serious damage. That same year, the parish of San Vicente de Elvinha was burned.
Civil War (1936-1939)
In 1936, civil war began and army commanders who supported the military coup took control of the city. From this moment on, La Coruña became a bastion of federal republicanism. The military governor and captain general were transferred to Ferrol, where they would be executed by a military court for refusing to join the uprising.
Franco's dictatorship (1939-1975)
During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, one of the main access roads to the city center was built, named after the then mayor Alfonso Molina. The construction was financed by businessman Pedro de Barri la Masa, a supporter of the regime, and large companies such as Union Fenosa.
During the 1960s, the city's population began to expand rapidly, growing by 60,000 people in just ten years due to a wave of immigration from rural areas and the expansion of the city to the west and south with the construction of new areas.
Construction of the tower in 1975 Hercon(also known as tower Costa Rica) marked a new trend for Spanish cities in the construction of high-rise buildings.
Democratic stage
In 1981, the city lost its status as the capital of Galicia, which it had held since 1563, and lost it to the city of Santiago de Compostela, which caused a protest by the residents of A Coruña.
Recent decades
During his tenure as mayor, the socialist Francisco Vázquez Vázquez (1983-2006), who was elected mayor six times in a row, began implementing large-scale city improvement projects, focusing most of his attention on the large 12-kilometer promenade (the longest in Europe) and three science museums - the House of Sciences (together with the planetarium), the House of Man or Domus and the Aquarium.
At this time, new infrastructure was developed in the city: the Opera Palace, the Colosseum (a multifunctional building for all types of events, including bullfights), a sculpture park next to the Tower of Hercules, the Naval Command Tower, an entertainment center in the port (which includes a new conference -center), extensive coastal parks, obelisk Millennium or the reconstructed Lugo market square and stadium Riazor.
The final years of Vázquez's mandate were marked by several controversial decisions, including a confrontation with the regional government over the name of the city (Vázquez defended the Castilian form "La Coruña"). In 2006, Vázquez was appointed ambassador to the Holy See by Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and Javier Lozada took over as mayor.
In 2008, the city celebrated the 800th anniversary of the restoration of A Coruña by King Alfonso IX and the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Elvinha. On June 29, 2009, the Tower of Hercules, the ancient symbol of the city, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the last decade, the city has been expanding, primarily due to immigration in the city (21,766 foreigners live in the city, most of them from Latin America, China, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa).
Attractions
Tower of Hercules
The symbol of La Coruña is the Tower of Hercules, the oldest working lighthouse in the world. The origins of the tower are unknown, although it was rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd century AD. The inscription on the stone mentions the name of Servius Lupia, architect of the Lusitania region of the Roman province of Spain. The current neoclassical façade is the result of a redevelopment carried out in the 18th century. Military engineer Eustachio Giannini repaired the lighthouse and carried out finishing work in 1791. Currently, the tower has a square shape (unlike in previous years, when it was circular), reaching a height of 58 meters. In 1991, De La Torre Park was created next to the tower.
In 2007, the candidacy of the Tower of Hercules was proposed by UNESCO. On September 9, 2008, it became twinned with the Statue of Liberty in New York, and on September 25, it became twinned with the Faro del Morro lighthouse in Havana, the oldest in America and one of the symbols of Cuba.
Castle of San Anton
Castle of San Anton.
The Castle of San Anton is located in the port area. It was built on a small island in the center of the bay, where there was a small chapel in honor of St. Anthony. The purpose of building the castle was to protect the city from attack from the sea. Its construction began in 1587, according to the inscription on the façade of the fortress.
During the attack of the British fleet in 1589, the castle coped with its task, despite the fact that it was still unfinished. After the attack, its construction continued until completion in 1590.
From the 18th century, the fortress became a prison, until a prison was built in the city in 1960. Nowadays the castle houses archaeological and historical museums.
Church of Santa Maria
Church of Santa Maria del Campo.
The monastery church of Santa Maria (Santa Maria del Campo) stands out in the Old Town for its antiquity and beauty. This late Romanesque church (12th-13th centuries) has qualified as a cathedral church since 1441. It was completed in 1302. It consists of three naves and one semicircular apse.
Church of Santiago
The Church of Santiago (12th-13th centuries), Romanesque tradition, has a large covered wooden nave and three apses, modified in the 15th-16th centuries. It was built on the ruins of the Monastery of San Francisco, founded around 1214, and was partially destroyed in the mid-16th century. In 1651 it was rebuilt, but was soon destroyed again by the explosion of a gunpowder keg.
Church of St. George
The Church of St. George was built in the Baroque style, consists of three naves and has a magnificent interior decoration. The facade has columns, which are associated with the heritage of the Baroque architect Fernando de Casas Novoa. The first attempt at homosexual marriage in Spain took place in this church (1901).
Church of St. Nicholas
The medieval temple was damaged in the middle of the 18th century and was completely reconstructed. The most noticeable element of its architecture is the interior decoration.
Walls
Of the old city fortifications, today there are remains of walls and three gates facing the sea along the Parrote embankment, as well as a bastion known as the Old Fortress, which is under state protection.
Besides:
- Rias Altas resort area, the Atlantic coast of Galicia with a large number of hotels and sandy beaches
- monasteries of Santa Barbara and Santo Domingo
- San Carlos Garden, in the center of which the English General John Moore, the liberator of La Coruña from the French, is buried
Notable natives
- Mon Santiso (Spanish) Mon Santiso), Spanish and Galician journalist, TV presenter and actor.