The patron saint of Lugo is Saint Hilary, abbot of Galeata, whose devotion is attested as early as the mid-13th century: on the church bell was cast, in Latin, the inscription «May Saint Hilary defend his people», dated 1264. 15 May, the anniversary of his death, was officially recognised as the feast day by the Statutes of the Municipality of Lugo in 1493. The town's co-patron is Saint Francis of Paola.
The saint's relics and silver bust, held there since 1526, are found in the Chiesa del Carmine, built by the Carmelites in the 16th century: in 1598 Pope Clement VIII, passing through Lugo on his way to Ferrara, stopped there to celebrate Mass. The Church of Saints Francis and Hilary, known as the «Collegiata», received in 1826 the title that officially consecrates the town's dual patronage.
