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Published: December 30th 2022
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Catedral Basilica de Santiago de Compostela
Catedral Basilica de Santiago de Compostela - Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Initially built in 1075-1211. The Baroque west façade facing the Plaza de Obradorio was added in 1740.
"... the Cathedral, the most important monument of the early-Romanesque style in Spain. The building of the present church began in 1078 or 1082 under Bishop Diego Primero Peldez, was zealously furthered by the first archbishop, Diego Segundo Gelmírez (1100-1130), and went on during the whole of the 12th century. The consecration took place in 1211. ... The W. Façade, known as El Obradoiro, was erected by Fernando Casus y Novoa in 1738 and is in the most extravagant baroque style. On the ramps of the wide flight of steps in front of it, arranged in four sections, some Romanesque sculptures have been placed. The huge gable is surmounted by a statue of St. James and flanked by two towers, each 230 ft. high and resting on Romanesque foundations".--Baedeker 1913.
Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) UNESCO World Heritage site.
IMG_8626 Our morning walking tour of Santiago de Compostela began right at the hotel. Our local guide first took us around the historical Parador to see the courtyards. The Hostal was built around a plan with four courtyards and a chapel in the center. The front two courtyards, Patio San Marcos and Patio San Juan, were built out in the later 16th century, soon after the building was completed. The two in the rear, Patio San Lucas and Patio San Mateo, were not built out until the 18th century. They are in Baroque style and more elaborate than their Renaissance counterparts. Patio San Lucas is notable for its elliptical shape. (The others are rectangular.) The ellipse is said to be a Galician design convention. Patio San Mateo has topiary of crosses and crowns, a nod to Ferdinand and Isabella, the founders. Each courtyard has a fountain at is center. We did not visit the chapel. The entrance portal to the building is like that of a church, elaborately decorated with stone carvings in the Spanish Plateresque style. Statues of Adam, Eve, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, James (of course), and Jesus, among others, are present. Atop it all is a tribute to
La Berenguela
Catedral Basilica de Santiago de Compostela - Santiago Cathedral. La Berenguela, also known as the Torre de Reloj or Torre de la Trinidad.
"The Torre de la Trinidad (262 ft.), which rises to the right, is old only in its lower part; the upper stages were completed by Domingo Andrado in 1680".--Baedeker 1913.
DSC_0767p1 the builders, Ferdinand and Isabella. (A sort of "Ferdinand and Isabella Built This" in the manner of attributions found on Roman buildings.)
Our guide next took us to another of the narrow streets in the historic center, Rúa da Raiña, and then over to Rúa do Vilar. The latter street was a bit wider, with vehicular traffic competing for precious space with sidewalk cafes. Pedestrians could duck under the arcaded shopping area.
Now it was time to tour the cathedral. The Baroque main portal facing west to the plaza is the iconic image of the cathedral and was constructed in the 18th century to replace the Romanesque façade. It is generally not open and is not the principal entrance. Instead, the main entrance for visitors is on the other side through the Puerta Real at the Quintana or east façade. Once inside, we were in the ambulatory in back of the Capilla Mayor. A narrow stone stair led down to the crypt where the reliquary of St. James is located. (Tradition asserts that James evangelized in Iberia around 40 CE before returning to Jerusalem where he was beheaded in 44. His remains were said to have been taken
Fonte dos Cabalos
Fonte dos Cabalos - Fountain of the horses. Installed in 1825. The figure on top of the fountain is holding the Star of Compostela. Plaza de las Platerías.
DSC_0766p1 back to Northeast Iberia where they were discovered in the 9th century.)
Coming out from the crypt on the other side of the ambulatory we were in the north transept. Both transepts have large seating areas, as the cathedral was designed to accommodate significant numbers of pilgrims. The north transept offers a good view of the famous
Botafumerio, a huge thurible or censer. It is swung by a team of seven
tiraboleiros across the Capilla Mayor after selected Masses. (Our guide knew one of the team members and had knowledge of when the Botafumerio would be used.) The Capilla Mayor is best viewed from the main nave. The Baroque altarpiece, under a baldachin, features a seated figure of St. James. After inspecting the nave, we continued into the Chapter Room. The Chapter Room is adorned with 16th century tapestries. Interestingly, there was an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe displayed here. The Chapter Room led out to the Renaissance Cloister.
The cloister was the end of the walking tour. The balance of the day was free. Susan and I looked at the cathedral gift shop and then returned to the Parador for lunch. The cafe off of the
Quintana Façade
Catedral Basilica de Santiago de Compostela - Santiago Cathedral. East or Quintana Façade. The apse, Porta Real and Porta Santa are located here.
Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) UNESCO World Heritage site.
IMG_8643p1 bar was a good place to find another
flauta. I had one with jámon and cheese and Susan one with cheese only. Following lunch, we did window and store shopping along the streets of the historic district. Souvenirs are oriented towards those who have made the pilgrimage. When rain came up, we took shelter in an ice cream shop and enjoyed some ice cream. (A similar situation had occurred in Fort Colins in July.) At Casal Cotón, a pastry and sweets shop, we bought a
Tarta de Santiago to take home to share. The almond cake is a Galician tradition that traces to the 16th century.
We planned dinner at La Piccola Italia, an Italian restaurant that opened for dinner at 7:30 p.m. Taking a break from Galician specialities, I ordered a Pizza Arrabbiata, which was a Neapolitan style pepperoni pizza. Very good! Complimentary appetizers included olives and chips.
After dinner, Susan and I took an evening stroll around the Praza do Obradorio, enjoying the illumination of the cathedral and other buildings.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Strolling
We love strolling around after dinner. The city always offers a different vibe after the sun goes down.