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Spain >> A CORUÑA Province >> Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela, World Heritage City and capital of Galicia, is the final landmark on the St. James pilgrimage route. Centuries of splendour and development have left us an urban layout in which the medieval Christian heritage is mixed with monumental Baroque buildings.

The legend tells that the appearance of the remains of the Apostle Saint James were the origin of this city (9th C.), which soon became a centre for pilgrimages and a holy city on a par with Jerusalem and Rome. Medieval Santiago experienced centuries of scientific, artistic and literary interchange thanks to the large numbers of pilgrims arriving from all over Europe.

The Pilgrim's Route to Santiago, together with the city of Santiago of Compostela, is today a World Heritage Site because of the historic and artistic nature of the route.

The centre of the city is the Plaza del Obradoiro, which has important monuments, including the Cathedral. In the Cathedral you have to follow the tradition: bump your head on the figure of its creator to obtain prudence and wisdom. At the main altar, a bust of the Apostle Saint James awaits your embrace. Another tradition is the waving of a huge incense holder, "El Botafumeiro", in the main transept, which even reaches the vaults.

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Beautiful examples of the civil Romanesque, Renaissance and Neoclassical styles also show themselves in Obradoiro. The Pazo de Gelmírez, the College of San Jerónimo and the Pazo Raxoi accompany the Cathedral and the Old Royal Hospital, today the five-star luxury 'Hostal de los Reyes Católicos', Parador de Turismo.

The importance of the religious orders associated with the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago and the University mean this area has many churches, convents and monasteries, as well as aristocratic houses like those of El Cabildo, La Parra and Los Canónigos. We could point out the monasteries of San Martín Pinario and San Paio de Antealtares (17th C.), the convent of San Francisco and the college of San Clemente.

The best time to go to Santiago de Compostela is during the Festivals of the Apostle St. James, a festival declared of International Tourist Interest held on 25 July. During the festival it is easy to taste products as closely associated with St. James as scallops, locust lobsters and Santiago cake. Fish and shellfish from the rias, Santiago parsnip tops and Padrón peppers make up one of the most varied cuisines in Galicia, all washed down with wines from one of the five Galician denominations of origin.