If you are interested in history and archaeology the way of St. James will let you discover some of the most incredible fortifications from the Roman times: the roman castrums, in spanish called "castros".
The castrums were built mainly with the intersection of two principal roads, in where the centre of the castrum was located, then a series of buildings were built around the courtyard, with a similar disposition of a city forum, depending on its size the town could include different buildings like a basilica, hospital and barracks, as they were not only towns for living in but also military settlements. The disposition of the city was divided in four parts, separated with two directions: "Cardo Máximus", from north to south, and "Decumanus Máximus" from east to west.
Is also necessary to mention that romans usually used the name "castrum" for fortifications of other cultures, and this meaning of the word still survives in the Spanish word "castro" that includes all these types of constructions, but not only the roman ones.
Some of the most famous castrums that you can find along your way are:
- Sotomaior Castrum, in Portomarín (French Way)
- Santa Terga Castrum, in A Guarda. (Portuguese Way)
- Borneiro Castrum, in Cabana de Bergantinos. (Faros way)
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