The hill of O Castro in Vigo, Portugal is the origin site of the city where the first settlers lived. Archaeological remains from the 2nd-3rd centuries BC have been found there, including 45 stone structures. The hillfort was an important, fortified settlement during the Iron Age and Roman period. Today it is also a botanical park with native and foreign plant species.

1. MOUNT OF O CASTRO:
Archaeological site
O Castro hill is the point of origin of the city of Vigo, the place where
the first settlers settled. Thus, we can find military remains dating
from the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC. Today, some 45 stone
constructions are still preserved on the right side of the hill.
As in so many other locations in the Galician territory, the toponym
Castro, which gives its name to this hill located in the centre of the
city of Vigo, indicates the existence of archaeological elements that
correspond to a type of settlement, which was the main form of
occupation of the territory in the northwest of the peninsula during
the Iron Age and a very important part of the Roman period (9th
century B.C. ? 3rd century A.D.).
The remains that you will find along the route are only a small part
of a large hillfort. Despite the existence of coastal forts, which we
believe to be commercially motivated, most of these walled villages
were situated in elevated locations that allowed them to control the
surrounding territory and the access and exit routes to and from it,
which implies an appropriation of the landscape by each community.
O Castro is also a magnificent botanical park, with a great variety of
both native and foreign species. The pines, cedars and camellias
stand out.

2. FORTALEZA:
The Fortaleza do Castro is a hilltop fortress built in 1665 in order to
protect the city from the continuous raids by the British Royal Navy.
Built on the hill of the same name, the defensive system of the city
consisted of the fortresses of Castro and San Sebastián and the now
disappeared city wall.
After several attempts to improve the defences of the city, Vigo was
looted again by British navy on the 23-24 October 1702
during Battle of Vigo Bay at the War of the Spanish Succession.

3. In 1809, the fortress was occupied by
the French army during Peninsular
War; on 28 March that year the
fortress was reconquered following
an uprising by people of Vigo,
because of the city was given the
honorific title of 'the faithful, loyal
and courageous city of Vigo' the
following year.
Nowadays the fortress is one of the
preferred sites for people to take a
walk in Vigo, because his beautiful
gardens, open spaces, fonts and also
the privileged views.

4. PORTA DO SOL SQUARE:
Here was one of the most important gates of the wall of Vigo called
Porta do Sol. The wall of Vigo was part of the defensive system of
the town, which also included the castle of San Sebastián and the
fortress of O Castro.

5. Long demanded to confront the maritime attacks that periodically
boarded the coast, it was finally built around 1656.
It was demolished, almost completely, at the end of the 19th
century.
Recent excavations in the area have
brought to light a fragment of the
17th century wall and what could
be part of the Porta do Sol. These
remains were witness to many
historical events, large and small,
that marked the life of the city.
PORTA DA GAMBOA:
Porta da Gamboa, a place of
maximum symbolism in
the Reconquest of Vigo.
The last important
historical event in which
the wall played its role was the Reconquest of Vigo (1809), an
episode of the Spanish War of Independence against the Napoleonic
invasion that was victoriously resolved. A demonstration by the
people of Vigo and the militias formed by opponents to the French
occupation for which, a year later, Vigo would receive the title of
"Faithful, loyal and courageous city".

6. The Reconquista is Vigo's most important festival. It's always held on
the weekend closest to 28 March and the most spectacular part is
the theatrical performances in the streets, which recreate the
skirmishes between the French and the Vigueans.
Undoubtedly the highlight of the festival is the episode in Gamboa
Gate.
On 28 March, this entrance to the wall was protagonist of heroic
events. The people of Vigo attacked this point and recovered the city
after defeating the French troops. The great battle lasted barely two
hours but made Vigo go down in history as the first place liberated
from the French invader.
A COLEXIATA:
Co-Cathedral of Santa María,
popularly known as La Colegiata, is
one of the best examples of
religious architecture in Vigo, an
exponent of neoclassical art in
Galicia and the city’s most
important temple. It is the co-
cathedral with Tui Cathedral.
It was built in 1811 over the
remains of a previous church and
commissioned from Melchor de
Prado y Mariño. This basilica with
three naves has a facade with
simple ornamentation and a
unique sundial on its right side,
which curiously does not face
south.

7. The main problem with its design was that the side façade facing
Palma Street does not face exactly south, which would have
facilitated the construction of the solar quadrant. This is why it is a
clock with a "declining vertical quadrant". This can be seen in the
fact that the angles that mark the hours are irregular on its surface
(called limbo), or that the hand - also known as the gnomon or
stylus - is slightly inclined.
The clockmaker Domínguez had to do a
lot of mathematics to design his clock,
which we can see today at the end of
Triunfo Street, visible from the Plaza de
la Constitución.
O BERBÉS:
This seaside neighbourhood was one of the first enclaves of the
medieval settlement of Vigo. Here there was a port that documents
from the 12th century cite as being called San Xulián. Situated on a
beach, when the town was fortified it was outside the walls.
In 1495 it was
barely
populated
and part of
the riverbank
was used to
spread the
nets.

8. Soon the neighbourhood grew and spread along the coast. When
the wall was built in 1656, it already reached the other end of the
beach where the convent of San Francisco is located.
PORT:
The Port of Vigo covers a length of more than 20 km and offers
more than 9 km of docks. The largest port traffic is general freight,
highlighting container traffic,Ro-Ro of vehicles (the second in Spain
in Ro-Ro traffic for new vehicles), granite (the first of Spain in granite
traffic), wood and preserved food.
Vigo is also the home port of one of the world's largest fishing
companies, and the most important centre of the Galician canned
fish industry.
The fishing sector in Vigo generates more than 32,000 direct and
indirect jobs and a turnover of more than 1 billion euros per year.
More than 660 fishing vessels are registered in the port of Vigo,
making it one of the main ports for the marketing of fresh fish for
human consumption in the world, with around 800,000 tonnes per
year.
Vigo is home of the European Fisheries Control Agency.

9. JULES VERNE:
And we decide to finish this tour by the statue of Jules Verne
because Vigo Bay is one of the settings for his novel Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and giving the title to one of its
chapters. The book's protagonist, Captain Nemo, draws his wealth
and the funding for his submarine Nautilus from the cargoes of the
galleons sunk by the British during the Battle of Vigo Bay in 1702.
They are depicted as still having their treasure and as being easily
accessible to divers.