La Roman wall of LugoThe Aqueduct, one of the great heritage landmarks of Galicia and all of Europe, has suffered a significant collapse in one of its interior sections. The incident, linked to the severe storm of rain and wind The crisis plaguing the community has raised serious concerns about the preservation of this World Heritage Site.
The collapse occurred in the middle of the night, around 23:30 p.m. on Saturday, In Rua do Moucho, in the southwest sector of the wall and very close to the Lugo Cathedral and Primitive Way of St. JamesDespite the magnitude of the landslide, authorities have confirmed that There were no injuries or material damage to homes or nearby businesses, something that many already consider a real stroke of luck.
Where and how did the collapse occur?
According to initial reports, the accident affected a section between six and seven meters long of the inner section of the wall, in a busy pedestrian area that connects Praza Pío XII (also cited as Pío XXI in some sources) with various shops, bars, and cultural spaces in the historic center. The collapse occurred towards the citycausing a considerable mass of material to fall onto the walkway that runs at the foot of the monument.
In that section of the wall are located housing, hospitality establishments -such as the well-known Portón do Recanto- and cultural facilities, including the Pazo de MontenegroDespite the proximity of these properties, No adjacent buildings have suffered structural damage, according to the initial assessments of the technicians and the Local Police.
The collapse affected the wall from the level of Rúa do Moucho to the upper part of the walkwaycreating a hole visible from several points in the surrounding area. Eyewitnesses indicate that, given the time of day, There were no pedestrians around because of the interior walkway at the time of the fall, which prevented personal consequences.
The municipal officers arrived at the scene a few minutes after receiving the report and They immediately cordoned off the areaBoth at the base and at the top of the wall, barriers were erected to prevent access by onlookers and pedestrians. Traffic was blocked on Rua do Moucho itself and on the section of the wall that included, at least, between the Tinería and the Cathedral ramp.
A renovated section, not the original Roman wall
One of the aspects that has been most emphasized from the very beginning is the nature of the affected segment. As he municipal archaeologist, Enrique GonzálezRepresentatives from the Xunta and the Concello agree that the collapsed panel does not belong to original Roman core, but to a subsequent reform.
The sources consulted place the intervention at a contemporary period additionwhich, according to studies, dates back to 19th century or even works from the first decades of the 20th centuryThis is an area where there had been modified the original layoutremoving one of the old defensive cubes and filling it with earth, small stones and rubble to redo the canvas more cheaply and quickly.
These types of solutions, common in less rigorous historical restorations, have left some sections are especially vulnerable to water seepageExperts suggest that the lack of adequate consolidation of the fillThis, combined with entire days of incessant rain, would have eventually destabilized the wall until it collapsed.
The municipal archaeologist emphasizes that, although the incident is serious and requires a rapid response, the robustness of the authentic Roman wall is far superiorThe original core, built using Roman techniques and solid materials, is considered much less prone to collapses of this typeexcept in areas where subsequent renovations or extensions have been carried out.
The existence of an old interior staircase or hidden structural elements in the area of the cube near the landslide, which would explain some leaks detected previouslyThese indications will be subject to detailed review within the technical inspections that have already been announced.
Storm Marta and the storm are in the spotlight
The collapse coincided with the passage of the Storm Marta, which is leaving very heavy rain and strong gusts of wind Much of Spain has been affected, with Galicia among the worst-hit regions. In Lugo, rainfall had been heavy for several days, leaving the ground saturated and drainage systems working at their limit.
Authorities and technicians consider more than plausible than the accumulation of water in the renovated area of the canvas may have acted as a trigger for the collapse. continuous seepage through the earth and rubble fill It would have weakened the structure until it suddenly collapsed, with hardly any prior signs, as the first witnesses recount.
In the rest of the perimeter, especially on the side of the Round the WallThey are not noticeable at the moment no visible damage or indications of imminent new landslidesEven so, experts agree that if the rains continue with the same intensity, there is a risk that the water washes away some of the materials that have already fallen or may compromise small unstable points in nearby areas.
This incident adds to other recent damage to Galician heritage associated with bad weather, such as the deterioration of the medieval tower of Torés, in As Nogais, and reinforces concerns about the impact of winter storms on historical monuments highly exposed to the elements.
Meanwhile, access restrictions remain in place throughout the area surrounding the landslide. The rampart will remain closed in the section between the Cathedral ramp and the nearest access points, and preventive signage has been reinforced to discourage residents and visitors from getting too close to the affected area.
Immediate action by the Xunta and the Concello
From early Sunday morning, officials from various administrations have traveled to Rúa do Moucho to assess the damage on site and coordinate the response. Mayor of Lugo, Miguel FernándezHe was one of the first to arrive at the scene, accompanied by municipal archaeologist and local police officers.
Fernández has insisted that it is a isolated incident linked, in all likelihood, to the rains of the last few days, and has stressed that The priority is the safety of the residents and the protection of the monumentThe City Council has assumed control of the perimeter area and maintains constant surveillance until a final technical report is available.
On behalf of the Xunta de Galicia, the territorial delegate in Lugo, Javier Arias, as well as the Minister of Culture, Language and Youth, José López CamposThey have also visited the site of the collapse, next to the general director of Cultural Heritage, Ángel Miramontes. The department is the competent administration in matters of conservation of the wall.
The councilor has announced that Repair work will begin imminentlywith the aim of acting with the "utmost urgency and speed." The first phase will address the controlled debris removal and stabilization from the remains, to then move on to the reconstruction of the collapsed section following technical criteria and respecting at all times the heritage value of the whole.
The company responsible for the regular maintenance of the wall will be in charge of carrying out these works, always under the supervision of the Heritage technical services and specialists in archaeology and historical architecture. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the following will be carried out: a thorough review of the entire walled enclosure to identify potential "weak points".
Technical analysis and master plan of the wall
The incident has reopened the debate on the vulnerability of the restored parts in contrast to the solidity of the original Roman structure. municipal archaeologist, Enrique GonzálezRemember that the wall has a Master Plan which would inventory and monitor the different construction phases of the monument, distinguishing the genuinely Roman areas from those modified or completed in later centuries.
According to González, the Landslides tend to concentrate precisely in the renovated sectionswhere earth fill, irregular stone, and rubble were used, sometimes without the consolidation measures now considered essential. In contrast, the solid structure of the Roman wallDesigned to withstand centuries of exposure, it remains in very good overall condition and features a much lower risk of sudden collapse.
The first technical hypotheses suggest that the water leaks They would have followed preferential paths through the fill of the raised section, weakening the inner wall. The accumulated rain in recent days would have acted as a decisive factor, until the weight and pressure exceeded the material's resistance capacity.
In addition to restoring the collapsed section, specialized teams are expected to conduct a detailed inspection. the possible existence of hidden internal structures, such as service staircases or remains of old access points, which may be influencing the wall's behavior. This line of research had already been pursued at other points along the wall where, in recent interventions, structural elements not visible from the outside were discovered.
The administrations insist that the Daily monitoring of the monument This will continue, with monitoring systems and periodic reviews framed within the Master Plan. This document serves as a roadmap for planning investments, prioritizing projects, and minimizing the impact of phenomena such as winter storms.
A World Heritage Site with a history of collapses
La Roman wall of LugoBuilt between the 3rd and 4th centuries, it is the The only Roman walled enclosure in the world that is preserved in its entirety and was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO Built in 2000, with a perimeter of over two kilometers and numerous gates and cubes, it has become the main symbol of the city and a top tourist attraction in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
The section affected by this latest landslide is located just meters from a unique spot where they converge three properties recognized by UNESCO: the wall itself, the Primitive Way of St. James and Lugo CathedralThis concentration of heritage reinforces the attention that the administrations must pay when planning the reconstruction and guaranteeing both the safety and the image of the whole.
However, this is not the first time the monument has suffered significant damage. November of 2002After several days of heavy rain, around two square meters of the exterior wall in a section located opposite the old Santa María hospitalAlso in the Ronda area. Then, stones fell onto the garden and forced the temporary closure of one traffic lane.
That episode was resolved quickly: The restoration work began just two days laterThe collapse occurred on a Monday, and the impact on the structure was much less than on this occasion. In fact, the fall exposed the original core of the wall, but did not cause significant structural damage.
Further back in time, the wall had already suffered significant landslides in 1986, 1990 and 2000In areas such as the current Xunta multipurpose building or the vicinity of the Porta de Santiago. This background led several experts to warn, decades ago, that the composition of the inner filling made the very rainy winters proved especially damaging for the monument.
Institutional commitment and community concern
The collapse has caused a mixture of concern and relief Among the residents of Lugo: concern at seeing their main symbol damaged and, at the same time, satisfaction because There were no casualties or damage to nearby buildings.Since Saturday night, hundreds of people have come to the area to get a closer look at the hole and the security cordon.
At the institutional level, both the Xunta de Galicia such as Lugo City Council have reiterated their willingness to fully collaborateThe mayor has offered all necessary municipal resources - permits, licenses, technical staff and coordination with the Local Police - to expedite the recovery work as much as possible.
The Galician government has pointed out that, since the declaration of the city wall as a World Heritage Site, it has invested more than ten million euros in around sixty projects for conservation and enhancement. This new incident, they point out, reinforces the need for continue allocating resources to prevention, to the monitoring of the most fragile sections and consolidation interventions where necessary.
The next few days will be key to finalizing timeframes and reconstruction methodHeritage technicians, archaeologists, and specialized architects will have to define how to reconstruct the canvas while respecting the criteria of authenticity and historical interpretation as much as possible, while prioritizing the safety of residents and visitors in an environment where the flow of people is very high throughout the year.
The collapse of this interior section has once again brought to the forefront the delicate coexistence between an ancient heritage and increasingly extreme climatic conditionsThe swift response of the authorities, the coordination between the Xunta and the City Council, and the experience gained from previous rockfall incidents will be crucial for the Lugo city wall to recover its usual appearance as soon as possible and continue fulfilling its role as historical, cultural and tourist landmark from Galicia and the entire European Atlantic coast.