Castro de Barona: a walled village by the sea

The coast of Spain hides many treasures – and the Iron Age settlement is definitely among them. What initially seems to be a portion of tangled fences, used to be a well placed fort during Roman times.

The construction remained the same ever since the 1st century A.D. During that time, the peninsula became more populated as war ended and people started building establishments and stores for crafts manufacturing. As the settlements emerged from the previous fort structure, the entire area got an unique appearance.

Firs of all, visitors must cross a moat, which is over 12 ft deep. It used to represent the first line of defense during the Roman times. Also, it separates the fort from the town, where over 20 small establishments were built starting the 1st century B.C. It is assumed that, in the past, the main wall used to surround the entire fort, so that intruders who might have come from the sea couldn’t get through. In case the enemy managed to do so, there were several other walls designed to surprise the attackers.

Next, there is another section which can be reached by climbing stairs. Of all the Galician forts, this section is the most well preserved. Since a considerable part of the walls fell and changed their shape in time, now they give an unique appearance to the entire peninsula.

Even though, the area did suffer many man-made modifications, it managed to maintain its charm and today it can be visited anytime.

Submission by Laura Nuñez Bárez.

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