Mondoñedo () is a small town and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the Galician

province of Lugo Lugo is a province (Spain), province of northwestern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Ourense Province, Ourense, Ponteved ...

, Spain. , the town has a population of 4,508. Mondoñedo occupies a sheltered valley among the northern outliers of the

Cantabrian Mountains The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range () are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. They stretch for over 300 km (180 miles) across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the Galician Massif ...

. Despite being the core of the region of A Mariña Central, it is the city with the fifth biggest population after Viveiro, Ribadeo, Foz and Burela. The municipality of Mondoñedo is in the northern half of the province of Lugo and is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Foz and Alfoz, to the south by Pastoriza and Riotorto, to the east by Lorenzana and to west with Abadín. The population of Mondoñedo is distributed throughout the 15 parishes that make up the council.

History

Mondoñedo is first mentioned during the rule of king

Ordoño I of Asturias Ordoño I ( – 27 May 866) was King of Asturias from 850 until his death. He was born in Oviedo, where he spent his early life in the court of Alfonso II. He was probably raised in Lugo, capital of the province of Galicia, where his father, ...

in 858; It was taken by surprise by the French in 1809 during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. The Galician Province of Mondoñedo disappeared in 1833 when all the seven provinces of Galicia were reduced to four, and the entire Province of Mondoñedo was first divided into two halves and later absorbed and assimilated into the existing provinces of

Lugo Lugo (, ) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It is the capital of the Lugo (province), province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 100,060 in 2024, ...

and

A Coruña A Coruña (; ; also informally called just Coruña; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality in Galicia, Spain. It is Galicia's second largest city, behind Vigo. The city is the provincial capital of the province ...

Main sights

The town was declared a national cultural-historical site in 1985. Its main attraction is the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, begun in Romanesque style around 1230. It reflects an unusual mixture of styles: Gothic in the nave and the aisles, and

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

in its 18th-century towers. The

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...

statue in the high

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

, called ''Nuestra Señora la Inglesa'' (the English

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

) was rescued from

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

during the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. The Sanctuary of Remedios and the Hospital of San Pablo are both from the 16th century. The Caves of King "Cintolo" ("Covas do Rei Cintolo") are also located in the outskirts of the town.

Demography

Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.9) ImageSize = width:580 height:300 PlotArea = left: 60 bottom: 30 top: 20 right: 20 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:12000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:2000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1000 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar: 1877 text: 1877 bar: 1887 text: 1887 bar: 1900 text: 1900 bar: 1910 text: 1910 bar: 1920 text: 1920 bar: 1930 text: 1930 bar: 1940 text: 1940 bar: 1950 text: 1950 bar: 1960 text: 1960 bar: 1970 text: 1970 bar: 1980 text: 1980 bar: 1990 text: 1990 bar: 2000 text: 2000 bar: 2010 text: 2010 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:center bar: 1877 from:10169 till: 0 bar: 1887 from:10352 till: 0 bar: 1900 from:10619 till: 0 bar: 1910 from:9881 till: 0 bar: 1920 from:10370 till: 0 bar: 1930 from:9107 till: 0 bar: 1940 from:9285 till: 0 bar: 1950 from:8827 till: 0 bar: 1960 from:7787 till: 0 bar: 1970 from:7173 till: 0 bar: 1980 from:6946 till: 0 bar: 1990 from:5843 till: 0 bar: 2000 from:5007 till: 0 bar: 2010 from:4194 till: 0 PlotData= bar: 1877 at: 10169 fontsize:S text: 10.169 shift:(0,5) bar: 1887 at: 10352 fontsize:S text: 10.352 shift:(0,5) bar: 1900 at: 10619 fontsize:S text: 10.619 shift:(0,5) bar: 1910 at: 9881 fontsize:S text: 9.881 shift:(0,5) bar: 1920 at: 10370 fontsize:S text: 10.370 shift:(0,5) bar: 1930 at: 9107 fontsize:S text: 9.107 shift:(0,5) bar: 1940 at: 9285 fontsize:S text:9.285 shift:(0,5) bar: 1950 at: 8827 fontsize:S text:8.827 shift:(0,5) bar: 1960 at: 7787 fontsize:S text: 7.787 shift:(0,5) bar: 1970 at: 7173 fontsize:S text: 7.173 shift:(0,5) bar: 1980 at: 6946 fontsize:S text: 6.946 shift:(0,5) bar: 1990 at: 5843 fontsize:S text: 5.843 shift:(0,5) bar: 2000 at: 5007 fontsize:S text: 5.007 shift:(0,5) bar: 2010 at: 4194 fontsize:S text: 4.194 shift:(0,5) Fro
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Festivals

* As San Lucas. This celebration is of uncertain origin but was probably first celebrated in the year 1156 when Alfonso VII was granted the title to the city of Mondoñedo. This is when the celebrations began in honor of San Lucas. * As Quendas. The first news about this holiday goes back to the sixteenth century. These festivals are held in the first days of May. * Os Remedios. This festival is celebrated the first Sunday after September 8. * Mercado Medieval. One of the most anticipated holiday by the people of Mondoñedo. It is held the second weekend of August.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Mondoñedo is twinned with: * Ferrol, Galicia, Spain (2004) * Tréguier,

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, France (2000)

Notable people

Marina Mayoral Marina Mayoral Díaz (Mondoñedo, Spain, September 12, 1942) is a Galician people, Galician writer in Galician language, Galician and Spanish language, Spanish. Early life and education She has lived in Madrid since the age of 19, but always mai ...

(1942), writer

References

External links

History of Mondoñedo

Mondoñedo's Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mondonedo Municipalities in the Province of Lugo