A Fonsagrada town hall

The old town hall of A Fonsagrada — the former Casa Consistorial on the town's main square in Lugo province — served local government for a century before being reborn as a cultural centre and tourist information point.

What is this building?

The building was completed in 1846 and served as the seat of the local council for roughly a hundred years. Once the administration moved to newer premises, the old town hall sat empty for more than a decade, losing its function and falling into disrepair. Local architects carried out a full renovation, keeping original features — including the historic entrance doors — while adding contemporary interior design. The result is a building that still reads as a 19th-century town hall from the outside, but now houses a completely different purpose inside.

What can visitors see inside?

In July 2026, the restored building opened a permanent exhibition dedicated to Antonio Fraguas, known as "Forges" — one of Spain's most celebrated cartoonists and satirists, whose father came from A Fonsagrada. The exhibition traces the artist's graphic work and his family ties to this part of Galicia. Besides the exhibition hall, the building now houses the municipal tourism office, an auditorium, and additional rooms used for local council purposes. That combination turns the old town hall into an active hub of cultural and civic life rather than a static monument.

How to get there and when to visit?

A Fonsagrada sits in the mountainous eastern part of Lugo province, on the Camino Primitivo — one of the oldest, though less-travelled, branches of the Camino de Santiago pilgrim route. The new tourism office inside the old town hall was set up specifically to better serve pilgrims and travellers passing through on this route, making it a natural stop for anyone walking the Camino. The building sits right in the town centre, so a visit pairs easily with a walk around the old square and surrounding streets. Daytime visits are best, since that's when the tourism office and exhibition are open — and staff can point visitors toward other attractions in the nearby mountains and along the pilgrim trail.

Why is it worth a stop?

The old town hall of A Fonsagrada shows how a small town can give a historic building new relevance: a place that spent a century serving local administration now brings together local memory (through the figure of Forges), visitor services, and cultural programming under one roof. For anyone walking the Camino Primitivo or exploring the Serra dos Ancares mountains, it's a practical stop — you can pick up route information while also seeing more than just a facade.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the old town hall? Yes. Since July 2026, the building has been open to visitors as a cultural centre, housing an exhibition dedicated to Forges and the municipal tourism office.

What exactly is there to see? A permanent exhibition on the graphic work of Antonio Fraguas "Forges," plus the tourist information office and an auditorium that hosts local events.

Is it a good stop on the Camino de Santiago? Yes — A Fonsagrada lies on the Camino Primitivo, and the new tourism office inside the building was created specifically to support pilgrims and travellers on this route.

How old is the building? It was built in 1846 and served as the seat of local government for about a century before falling out of use and later being restored.