Friol Explained

Begonte
Settlement Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Spain#Spain Galicia
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Spain
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Spain
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous community
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Lugo
Subdivision Type3:Comarca
Subdivision Name3:Lugo
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:292.29
Population As Of:2024
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population Total:3616
Population Demonym:Friolés/a
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:27...
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Government Footnotes:[3]
Leader Title:Alcalde
Leader Name:José Ángel Santos
Leader Party:People's Party

Friol is a municipality in the Lugo province in Galicia. It is located in northwest Spain. It is bordered on the north by Begonte and Guitiriz, to the south by Palas de Rei and Guntín, to the east by Lugo and Outeiro de Rei and to the west by the province of La Coruña. It has an area of 292.29 km2. It has a population of 3,616 inhabitants according to the INE in 2024. The population density is 12 inhabitants/km2.

History

In Friol, there are still vestigial megaliths, the oldest preserved in this municipality. This area was occupied by Romans and Visigoths.

In the Middle Ages the families Ulloa, Parga and Seixas shared power in this term.[4] Proof of this are the buildings, towers and castles inhabiting the territory. The most famous building is the fortress of Friol San Paio of Narla, of unknown origin and rebuilt in the sixteenth century by Don Vasco Seixas, lord of the Solar House and Castro Seixas and Pazo de San Paio of Narla. He was the son of Don Basque Seixas "el viejo" and Maria Alvarez de Sotomayor and grandson of Don Vasco Seixas, who in the fourteenth century was lord of San Paio, Osera, Chantada, Ferreira, Samos, Sobrado and Eire. He participated in the dynastic struggle of Trastámara in favor of Don Henry. In Friol there are many popular legends related to the fortress of San Paio of Narla and its owners Vazquez de Seixas. This same lineage also belonged to the Pazo do Monte, located in the same area.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Entidades Locales . ssweb.seap.minhap.es . 6 May 2024.
  2. Web site: Instituto Nacional de Estadística. (Spanish Statistical Institute) . ine.es . 6 May 2024.
  3. News: José Ángel Santos, elixido presidente do PP en Friol co 100% dos votos . 6 May 2024 . Galiciaxa . gl-ES.
  4. Web site: Historias e Lendas · Concello de Friol . concellodefriol.es . 6 May 2024.