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Founded: 1848-1850Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Finland
Historical period: Russian Grand Duchy (Finland)
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The history of Haminalahti dates back to the Iron Age. In 1874 several bronze jewels were found from the burial made in the 11th century. It was the most significant archaelogical discovery in the North Savonia area.
Haminalahti village and manor are marked as the national built heritage by National Board of Antiques. Between 1759 and 1910 the manor was owned by von Wright noble family. Magnus, Wilhem and Ferdinand von Wright were significant Finnish artists during the national awakening in the 19th century. Ferdinand’s Taistelevat metsot (“Fighting Capercaillies”) is one of the most well-known Finnish paintings. The nature of Haminalahti inspired brothers and can be seen in their works.
The empire-style manor house was built in 1848-1850 according the design of C. L. Engel. Today it’s owned by the Falkenberg family and is in the private use. In 2006 a culture trail was opened in Haminalahti to exhibit the landscapes and the art of von Wrights.
Roman Walls of Lugo are an exceptional architectural, archaeological and constructive legacy of Roman engineering, dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The Walls are built of internal and external stone facings of slate with some granite, with a core filling of a conglomerate of slate slabs and worked stone pieces from Roman buildings, interlocked with lime mortar.
Their total length of 2117 m in the shape of an oblong rectangle occupies an area of 1.68 ha. Their height varies between 8 and 10 m, with a width of 4.2 m, reaching 7 m in some specific points. The walls still contain 85 external towers, 10 gates (five of which are original and five that were opened in modern times), four staircases and two ramps providing access to the walkway along the top of the walls, one of which is internal and the other external. Each tower contained access stairs leading from the intervallum to the wall walk of town wall, of which a total of 21 have been discovered to date.
The defences of Lugo are the most complete and best preserved example of Roman military architecture in the Western Roman Empire.
Despite the renovation work carried out, the walls conserve their original layout and the construction features associated with their defensive purpose, with walls, battlements, towers, fortifications, both modern and original gates and stairways, and a moat.
Since they were built, the walls have defined the layout and growth of the city, which was declared a Historical-Artistic Ensemble in 1973, forming a part of it and becoming an emblematic structure that can be freely accessed to walk along. The local inhabitants and visitors alike have used them as an area for enjoyment and as a part of urban life for centuries.
The fortifications were added to UNESCO"s World Heritage List in late 2000 and are a popular tourist attraction.