Primitivo Way from Lugo: historical curiosities

A Way with more than a thousand years of history

The Primitivo Way from Lugo is considered the oldest route of the Camino de Santiago. Its origin dates back to the 9th century, when King Alfonso II, after learning of the discovery of the Apostle’s tomb, undertook this itinerary from Oviedo to verify the authenticity of the finding. That journey marked the official beginning of Jacobean pilgrimages.

Walking today along these paths means travelling through a stretch where history is still alive in every village, every medieval bridge and every Romanesque church that has survived the passing of centuries.

➤ Lugo: a Roman origin that shapes the Way

Lugo is the perfect starting point for history lovers. Its Roman Wall, a World Heritage Site, is the only complete Roman walled enclosure preserved in the world. Its layout directly influenced the Way, as for centuries it was a key point of passage and defence.

In addition, beneath its streets lie baths, mosaics and archaeological remains that remind us that Lugo was a strategic city in Roman Gallaecia.

• The wall has 85 towers and a perimeter of more than 2 km.
• Many sections of the Way run along ancient Roman roads.
• Lugo was one of the first cities to guard Jacobean relics.

➤ The legacy of King Alfonso II the Chaste

The Primitivo Way receives its name for being the “first” path, the one inaugurated by the Asturian king Alfonso II. His journey from Oviedo to Compostela passed through Lugo and marked, according to tradition, the original route of the first pilgrims.

In fact, many historians point out that this route helped consolidate Jacobean devotion and the birth of the future Camino de Santiago as we know it today.

• It is the only Way with an origin documented in a medieval king.
• The itinerary marked the first organisation of hospitals and lodging places.
• The Lugo–Melide stretch preserves the closest spirit to that primitive route.

➤ Roads, bridges and villages that tell stories

The stretch between Lugo and Melide is a true history lesson. Cobbled streets, rural paths used for more than a thousand years and medieval bridges that connected villages that are almost intact today. Many of these constructions still serve their original function.

• Ferreira Bridge: one of the most emblematic medieval bridges on the Primitivo Way.
• San Román da Retorta: preserves a perfectly recognisable section of via romana.
• Vilabade: home to a Gothic church linked to the old pilgrim hospital.

Stopping in these places allows the walker to connect with the past and understand that this route was crucial for communication and trade in medieval Galicia.

➤ Rural Romanesque art: hidden gems on the Way

The Primitivo Way from Lugo is also a unique route to discover the Galician rural Romanesque. Far from mass tourism, the churches of small villages preserve capitals, frescoes and altarpieces that form part of Galicia’s most intimate heritage.

• Church of San Miguel de Bacurín: one of the best examples of Romanesque in A Ulloa.
• Church of Santa María de Melide: a 12th-century Romanesque temple with a semicircular apse.
• Chapel of San Roque: a vestige of medieval Melide’s ancient devotion.

They are simple-looking temples, but with enormous symbolic value for medieval and modern-day pilgrims.

➤ Melide, the historic crossroads

Melide is a key point and one of the most notable curiosities of the Primitivo Way: here the historic junction with the French Way takes place. For centuries, this convergence made Melide a cultural, commercial and spiritual crossroads, with hospitals, markets and traditions that still endure today.

In addition, its famous pulpería, heir to the tradition of the old Jacobean markets, makes many pilgrims consider Melide an essential stage both for history and gastronomy.

➤ A Way where every step is living history

The Primitivo Way from Lugo is a special experience for those who love the past and seek to understand how the Jacobean route was formed. Each stretch preserves an authentic atmosphere, a feeling of walking where kings, monks and medieval pilgrims once walked.

Today, walking it is enjoying not only the landscape and nature, but also a rural Galicia full of legends, devotion and historical memory.

• The only Way that preserves the original spirit of the 9th century.
• An itinerary less crowded and full of heritage.
• A cultural experience lived on foot and with all the senses.

The Primitivo Way from Lugo is a journey to the origin of the Camino de Santiago. A route ideal for those who wish to walk among history, art and tradition, feeling that each step is part of a millenary legacy.