Castro of Viladonga, Archaeological site near Castro de Rei, Spain
Castro of Viladonga is an archaeological site on a hilltop in Castro de Rei, in the Lugo province of northern Spain, overlooking the Terra Chá valley. The site holds the uncovered remains of an ancient fortified settlement alongside an on-site museum that houses objects found during excavations.
The settlement grew between the 2nd and 5th centuries AD as a fortified community on the hilltop. Excavations that began in 1971 gradually uncovered the structures and objects that had been buried for centuries.
The museum displays weapons, games, tools, and ceramics recovered during excavations. These objects give a direct sense of what daily life looked like for the people who once lived there.
The site is easy to reach on foot and well signed, guiding visitors to both the excavation area and the museum. Comfortable shoes are a good idea as the ground is uneven, and it is worth setting aside enough time to see both parts of the visit.
Two rare gold coins linked to the Eastern Roman Empire were found during excavations, pointing to connections with distant trade routes. Given how remote the site feels today, that discovery is an unexpected sign of how far its contacts once reached.
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