This post is based primarily on
Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016.
When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers
or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany
this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was
taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of
the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain
Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.
We
got up at 7 am (Don had been awake since 5:30).
We went to the buffet breakfast (included) at Hotel Pazo de Lestrove breakfast room at 8 am.
Sunday, September 25, 2016, 8:01 AM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove - MT and other
guests in breakfast room.
8:38 AM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – bench that looked like a church pew but seemed to have a confession window at one end.
8:39 AM – Hotel Pazo de Lestrove – what looked like a confession window at one end of the bench.
After we crossed back over the pasarela (pedestrian bridge) into Padrón, we soon came to the Mercado Dominical (Sunday Market).
9:11 AM – Padrón: Sunday Market – Pulpería (octopus restaurant).
The crowded Mercado Dominical (Sunday Market) is one of the largest street
markets in Galicia with more than 600 stalls, arranged in a large area, selling
all kinds of products. One can find delicious fruits and vegetables; nuts;
tasty fish, fowl, and seafood; cheeses; sausages; and juicy meat. There, one
can buy the most diverse products, especially those grown, manufactured, or
produced in the region. It is the ideal place to get the famous pementos de Padrón (peppers of Padrón). The
Sunday Market is also characterized by pulperías
(octopus restaurants) serving the traditional pulpo á feira” (octopus
in the style of the fair), deliciously prepared with olive oil and paprika. The
market also offers plants, footwear, clothing, furnishings, accessories, and
everything one can imagine.
Fairs and markets have
characterized the town of Padrón since the distant past. The town was known for
both the variety of its offerings and delicacies and for the large influx of
visitors who came Sunday after Sunday. Over time, Sunday has become the
quintessential market day. Because of this, the Sunday Market has become one of
the biggest weekly markets in Galicia.
In the 19th century, the market was moved from the historic center of
Padrón to its current location.
Every Sunday, Padrón is invaded by
thousands of people going to its popular Sunday Market. On Sundays, this market
occupies the entire Paseo de Espolón, the parking lot adjacent to the Plaza de
Abastos, the Campo do Souto, and other surrounding areas (a total area of
22,500 square meters). The market is open from 9 am to 3 pm.
9:13 AM – Padrón: Sunday Market - vegetable
stand, including red peppers, tomatoes, and the small green pementos de Padrón (peppers of Padrón);
the lady was sorting through the latter (perhaps looking for the hot ones—or
avoiding them?) and had some on her scales.
MT 9:15 AM – Padrón: Sunday Market - vegetable
stand, including tomatoes and the small green pementos de Padrón; the lady was sorting through the latter
(perhaps looking for the hot ones—or avoiding them?) and had some on her
scales.
9:13 AM – Padrón: Sunday Market – man selling castañas (chestnuts).
9:13 AM – Padrón: Sunday Market – another lady
sorting pementos de Padrón.
9:13 AM – Padrón: Sunday Market – basket of pementos de Padrón at another stand,
with some in bags.
After passing through the Paseo de Espolón, we came to the Igreja de Santiago de Padrón, of which Don had taken photos of the exterior the day before, when the church was closed. On this Sunday morning, it was open for a mass that would take place at 9:30 am.
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 3:05 PM
(Cropped) – Padrón: Igreja de Santiago – west (apse) end, south side, and one
of two bell towers, near Ponte do Carme across Río Sar.
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 3:00 PM
– Padrón: Igreja de Santiago - west (apse) end, near Ponte do Carme, and both
bell towers (telephoto 105 mm, Cropped).
The Igreja (Igrexa) de Santiago de Padrón (Church of St. James of
Padrón) is also known as Iglesia Paroquial de Santiago el Mayor (Parish Church
of St. James the Greater). It may claim the fame of housing the Pedrón, but there has been a church on
this site since at least 1133 and
possibly 920 AD. There are numerous, sometimes conflicting, sources regarding
the history of churches on this site; the following is an attempt to assemble
the most useful and reliable pieces if the history:
In the year 920, Bishop Gudesindo Aloitez
of Iria Flavia ordered a primitive church to be built in Padrón. This church
was probably in Pre-Romanesque style (which dates between the late 8th century
and the beginning of the 11th century). This church (perhaps called the Igrexa
de Santa María) was destroyed in the time of Almanzor (938-1002, the de facto ruler of Muslim-occupied Iberia
978-1002), who conducted campaigns into the parts of the Peninsula still under
Christian control, reaching as far as Santiago in 997. Given its location and
orientation, with the western façade facing the Río Sar, it can be deduced that
access to the primitive church was made from the south side.
In 1095, the Pope declared the
Diocese of Iria extinct an established the Diocese of Compostela. Diego
Gelmírez (or Xelmírez in Galego) was appointed Administrator of the new diocese
in 1096 and then Bishop in 1100. In 1120, a new Pope elevated Compostela to the
status of Archdiocese, and Gelmírez served at its first Archbishop (1120-1140).
In 1133, Archbishop Gelmírez ordered
a church dedicated to Santiago to be reconstructed on the ruins of the previous
church, which he said was “very poor and small.” He ordered it built next to
the port of Murgadán, the interior port of Padrón, where the boat carrying the
remains of Santiago had been moored to the pedrón.
Gelmírez commissioned the work in Romanesque style and oriented to the east,
contrary to the current position; the entrance doors were where the present
altar is located. Giving this church a special distinction, he ordered that the
new church have three naves, although most of the parish churches of Santiago
and the surrounding area at that time had only a single nave. It is assumed
that the central nave was the one from the pre-existing building from the time of
Gudesindo. Next to his new church, Archbishop Gelmírez also has an episcopal
(bishop’s) palace built, to which he retired to spend certain seasons. Only one
stone remains from the church of Gelmírez, next to the entrance from the Paseo
de Espolón on the south side. The Latin inscription on the stone reads “Didacus
Compostellane Ecclesie Praesul Reconstruxit in era MCLXXI” (Diego the Prelate
of the Compostela Church rebuilt it in the era 1171 [the year 1133]”). This Romanesque
church has been extended and rebuilt many times since.
The church of Gelmírez disappeared
and was replaced by another one, in Gothic style, with ogival arches. According
to some sources, this church was built in the term of Don Lope de Mendoza as
Archbishop of Compostela (1399-1445). However, other sources say that the
church that occupied this spot was founded by “Rodrigo de Luna y Alonso 2nd” in
the 15th century. (Rodrígo de Luna was Archbishop of Compostela 1451-1460, and
Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo was Archbishop of Compostela 1460-1465 and again
1469-1507.) Another source clarifies that, after the church of Gelmírez, there
would be no further rebuilding until the Holy Year of 1456, when Archbishop Rodrigo
de Luna ordered a new pilgrim hospital to be built next to the church; this
construction affected the body of the church, which had to be completely
rebuilt; all that remained of the Romanesque building was probably the main
chapel. The two lateral apses were rebuilt. All that now survives from this
15th-century church is the stone pulpit. Although the interior of the church
was entirely redone, the main change in the exterior was the addition of two
towers. This church was reformed in the 16th and 17th centuries. At the
beginning of the 17th century, pilgrims would embrace the image of Santiago
Peregrino on the high (main) altar, from a stairway behind it, as pilgrims
still do in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
In 1852, the Ponte de Santiago
(Ponte do Carme) had to be rebuilt. Due to this repair, the southern entrance
to the parish church was somewhat obstructed. That is why Archbishop Carcia
Cuesta asked for improvements. Until then, the church had no entrance to the
main (west) façade. The city council agreed to open an entrance in the façade
on the west side.
In 1854, in spite of the latest
reconstructions, the church threatened to collapse, and masses had to be
transferred to the nearby Convento do Carme. The Archbishop had to go to the
Government of Isabela II to get funding for the rebuilding.
The current church is rather somber
in appearance, in the Neoclassical style, built in granite masonry.
Construction began in 1859, immediately after the demolition of the remains of
the Gothic building, and the church was blessed in 1867, when this last reform
of the church was completed. The church was built over the remains of earlier
churches, of which some elements remain, such as a Gothic pulpit from the 15th
century. However, the Neoclassical church changed its orientation: the apse of
the new building is next to the river, facing west, while the main façade faces
east. The new church was also built at a higher level, in order to avoid frequent
floods from the Río Sar.
The Neoclassical church is now
located near the north end of the Paseo de Espolón. Its thick walls also hold
traces of other, older churches. Next to the (south) door facing the Paseo de
Espolón, one can see an inscription above a granite block of stone that reminds
one that the Romanesque church erected by Archbishop Gelmírez in 1133. The
church also preserves the artistic late-Gothic pulpit that was recovered.
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 2:43
PM – Padrón: Igreja de Santiago – south side, bell tower, and main (east)
façade.
The main (east) façade is large and imposing. It has a
door with a triangular pediment, a semicircular lunette window above the door, and
four Ionic pilasters, topped with a high pediment and a cross. On each side of
the façade is a Baroque tower and twin bells, with a simple body beneath the
bell tower. A door on the south side, with a niche, leads to the Paseo de
Espolón.
As we entered the church, it was apparent that people were arriving for a mass (at 9:30). Don hurriedly snapped a few photos.
9:19 AM – Padrón: Igreja de Santiago – view from
rear of central nave to main altar in apse; MT at right; and statue of Santiago
Matamoros in glass case on wall at right.
Inside, there are three
naves with no transept, separated by Tuscan pilasters and semicircular arches.
A prominent round presbytery behind the main altar is decorated with smooth
columns. On the main altar stands the crowned statue of Santiago Apostól in a
seated position, carrying in one hand the staff and gourd and in the other an
open book with the inscription “Hic fuit corpus Beati Jacobi” (Here was the
body of Blessed James). Above the tabernacle is the image of the Virgin and
Child on a round pillar. There are also some side altars.
Beside the main altar, there is a
fine pulpit carved from a single stone, with the image of Santiago Peregrino
(15th century), which belonged to the Gothic church that Lope de Mendoza,
Archbishop of Santiago, had built.
The church also has several side
altars in the lateral naves. On one of the altars is a statue, in a glass case,
of Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moor-Slayer) mounted on his white horse
and slaying Moors at the spearhead of the Reconquista.
On another altar is a 17th-century statue of Santiago Peregrino (St. James the
Pilgrim). There are two wooden high reliefs that originally belonged to the
altarpiece of the Chapel of Santiaguiño (on the hill above the Convento do
Carme), one depicting the Translatio
(transport of St. James’ body to Padrón) and the other of the Apostle Santiago
baptizing Queen Lupa. There are two 18th-century oil paintings, restored in
2003, depicting the Translatio and
the apparition of the Virgin appearing to the Apostle Santiago.
9:21 AM – Padrón: Igreja de Santiago – statue of
Santiago Matamoros, his white horse trampling Moors, in glass case (with glare)
on side altar in right nave.
Padrón: sello from “Parroquia de
Santiago de Padrón – Camino de Santiago” picturing the body of Santiago in the
boat, moored to the pedrón,
accompanied by his two disciples and an angel; above the boat are a cross and a
star, and below the boat is “Arzobispado de Santiago” (Archbishopric of
Santiago).
The young man was a priest; he said he was not the pastor, but his assistant. After giving us sellos, he told us to go up to the main altar to see the pedrón stone.
9:21 AM – Padrón: Igreja de Santiago – modern
main altar and behind it the old main altar with the pedrón beneath it.
When we stopped just short of the altar, the young priest came up to the front with the card from Hospedería San Martiño Pinario MT had dropped when getting the sellos. He told us to go on up onto the altar (even though it looked like the mass was about to start) in order to see the pedrón close up.
9:21 AM – Padrón: Igreja de Santiago – the pedrón beneath the main altar.
Since Don’s photo was taken in a
hurry, here is a clearer one.
Padrón: Igreja de Santiago - O Pedrón stone under altar
(commons.wikimedia.com).
The Pedrón is a large and ancient stone, to which Galician history claims the boat carrying the body of St. James was moored. Until the 15th century, it was located on the left bank of the Río Sar (looking from north to south). Today, it is in the Igreja de Santiago de Padrón, sited directly under the church’s main altar, below the level of the church floor. The position it occupies is said to be exactly as it was at the time of the boat’s visit. Pilgrims can walk within feet of the stone to examine it or even take photos or videos.
Unfortunately, recent
investigations suggest that the Pedrón was in fact an early Roman altar stone
dedicated to Neptune (possibly used in the original Igreja de Santiago) and not
the artifact that many would like to think, but there is evidence on both
sides. Some believe it was either a small menhir (a tall stone, usually rough
and standing upright, erected as a prehistoric monument) or a milliary
(milestone) of Roman origin reused later as an altar by the Romans themselves
(that reuse would be the origin of the niche on the upper side of the stone). It
would have been the Romans who dedicated the stone to their god Neptune. In any
event, the stone was actively used for some Christian purpose up to 2000 years
ago and can clearly lay claim to its heritage as a religious artifact.
Some sources say that, since
Phoenician times, it was used as a bollard for mooring boats in the port
outside Iria and that the effect of the ropes on the granite stone, caused by
strong currents, produced wear on the edges, leaving only part of the
inscription.
The stone bears the inscription “NO
ORI ESES D.S.P,” which some sources say is “N[eptun]o Orieses D[e] [S]uo [P]osuerunt”
(To Neptune the Orieses placed of their [own expense].) At the time of the translatio, Iria Flavia was the capital
of the tribe of the oríeses (oríes),
the original settlers of the place, which was colonized by the Romans and
renamed in honor of the Emperor Flavius Vespacian.
The Galego version is “A Neptuno os
catorienses puxeron do seu peto” (To Neptune the Catorienses placed out of
their pocket). The Spanish version is “La Neptuno los catorienses pusieron de
su bolsillo” (The Neptune the Catorienses put out of their pocket [or
pocketbook or purse]). Thus, it is possible that the Latin “D.S.P.” stood for
“de suo pugillaria” (out of their pocketbook). Others suggest that the most
likely deciphering of the inscription is “NEPTUNO FOR(o) I(ri)E(n)SES DSP” that
is, the subject is the Forum Iriense, the community of Iria. Still others argue
for “(PATRO)NO (CAT)ORIENSES D[E] S(UO) POSUERUNT” (The Catorienses dedicated
to their patron), citing that catorienses was a name used for the inhabitants
of Iria (Padrón) at the beginning of the Christian era. Some read the one part
as “(CAP)ORIESES” referring to the Celtic Caporos tribe that inhabited the area
of Iria. Some (including the web site www.edu.xunta.gal of the Galician
Government) read the letters as part of the phrase “PATRONO CAPORIESES DE SUO
POSUERE” (Patron [or Protector] of the Caporos paid from their pocket [for the
monument]), referring to Augustus as protector of the Caporos. Some believe to
see a faint cross and “IHS” above the “NO,” while others believe those letters
to be “NEPTU”NO.” [Don’s photo seems to show a faint “EP” with illegible
letters on each side of it, which could be “NEPTU”NO.] It is reported that, in
1572, a chronicler of the visit of Felipe II to Padrón engraved a cross into
the stone above the letters.
Padrón: coat of arms of Padrón, showing the boat carrying the body of Santiago moored to the Pedrón
A bronze plaque above the Pedrón has the Latin inscription: “Cippus.cui nomen PETRONUM adest. Ei navim S. Jacobi Zebedæi Corporis vectricem alligatam fuisse pie creditur.” (Roughly translated: Stone pillar, whose name is pedrón is present. To it the boat carrying St. James [son of] Zebedee was believed to have been bound.) On the granite stone itself is the inscription: “To Neptune the Irian Forum with its money.” D.S.P.” could mean “died without issue” from the Latin “decessit sine prole.”(Photos only show only the inscription on the stone: NO ORI ESES D.S.P.”) In the Middle Ages, it was the custom for pilgrims to embrace the Pedrón.
About 30 percent of the final stage into Santiago would be on natural pathways through oak, pine, and eucalyptus woodlands. However, there were many stretches of main roads since the Camino route tended to follow the same path as the N-550 highway, with the paved roads becoming busier as we neared the city of Santiago.
Just 1.1 km after Padrón, we came to the village of Iria Flavia, also known as just Iria.
Iria
Flavia
is a village in the parish of the same name (pop. 300) in the municipality of
Padrón, in the province of A Coruña. It is located at the confluence of the San
and Ulla rivers.
Some say that the name Iria comes
from Celtic and means “working the land” or from the Celtic word “ir” meaning
“water.” Another version is that it is derived from the word “Bisría” meaning
“two rivers.” Others say it is a pre-Celtic name and that Iria was founded by
the Iberians, who had a settlement of houses built on stakes around a large
lake that covered almost completely the land later known as Iria. The waters of
the Ulla and Sar flowed into this lake, but as time passed the waters receded
and the lake disappeared, leaving a fertile valley into which other peoples
would come, including the Celtic tribe of caporos.
The lands of the municipality of
Padrón, ancient Iria Flavia, are located between the basins of the Ulla and Sar
rivers, at the place of their confluence at the beginning of the Arosa estuary.
Iria was an important inland port, a former natural harbor near the coast and
the shelter of friendly travelers and pirates, where it was not necessary to
carry out great works. Around it, the Celts settled first; then the Phoenicians
arrived for trade; then the Romans came (Julius Caesar in 61 BC and Augustus in
24 BC) and used it to transport tin from the mountains of Bierzo and gold from
the Río Sil. It was here that the Apostle Santiago arrived to preach and that
his disciples would later bring his body for burial. In 70 AD, Emperor Titus
Flavius Vespasianus granted Iria the “Ius Latii,” through which its inhabitants
could obtain Roman citizenship if they held public office. In 74 AD, Vespacian
granted Iria the title of “municipium” (Roman city), so that the grateful
Irienses added his family name “Flavia” to the name of the city. Under the
Romans, there were two ports: a small interior fishing port, called Murgadán,
on the left bank of the Sar and an outer port called “Porto” on the left bank
of the Ulla that provided berth for large Phoenician and Roman ships. Later
came the invasions of the barbarians, the Vandals, Suevos (Swabians) in 411,
and Visigoths in 585 and finally expeditions by the Arabs and Vikings.
No later than 561, perhaps as early
as 400 AD, Iria became the seat of a bishopric, also known in Latin as Locus
Sancti Iacobi (Place of St. James). The first Bishop of Iria identified was Andrés (Andrew), who attended the
Council of Braga in 561. By 582, Galicia was divided into nine dioceses, one of
which was Iria Flavia. The diocese of Iria shared its seat with (Santiago de)
Compostela. When the relics of St. James were transferred to Santiago and that
developed into Iberia’s major pilgrim destination, the seat moved there in
1095. In 1969, the Titular Bishopric of Iria Flavia was restored. (A titular
bishop is one who is not in charge of a diocese.)The modern city on the site of
Iria Flavia is Padrón.
When the name of Padrón became more
popular, the population growth shifted to the urban center of Padrón, and Iria
became a simple hamlet. It present, the name Iria Flavia is used in all
official documents.
The Camino route passed to the rear of the Igreja de Santa María de Iria.
9:34 AM – Iria: Igreja de Santa María de Iria – side
view, across cemetery, to one of two towers and apse.
The Collegiata de Iria Flavia (Collegiate Church of Iria Flavia) is a
large and beautiful church. When Diego Gelmírez became Bishop of Compostela in 1100,
he established a collegiate church and a cabildo (chapter house) as a second cathedral of Compostela.
The Igreja de Santa María a Maior
de Iria Flavia (Church of St. Mary Major of Iria Flavia) is the old collegiate
church. It was the old Episcopal headquarters (seat of the diocese) and
regarded as the first Marian shrine in the world. It was Bishop Theodomir of
Iria who officially recognized the tomb of St. James in 813.
In 1100, after the seat of the
bishopric had been moved to Compostela, Bishop Diego Gelmírez of Compostela
rebuilt the former cathedral church, Santa María Adina, which had been destroyed by the Moors under
Almanzor.
Excavations have revealed that the
site on which a series of Christian churches have been built was on Roman foundations.
The first Christian basilica of which there are records was of Swabian origin
and would have been built in the second half of the 5th century and the first
half of the 6th century. That church, originally dedicated to Santa Eulalia,
was destroyed by Almanzor in 997 in the course of his raid against Santiago.
That church would be replaced by another one in Romanesque style, built around
the 9th and 10th centuries, re-dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as a sign of the
increasing Marian devotion along the Camino. Gelmírez further embellished the
church, still in Romanesque style, in the 12th century and accorded it collegiate
status. On its remains, another church, in Gothic style, was built in the 13th
century. Between 1708 and 1714 (during the Baroque period), a new basilica was
erected, which has reached the present time.
Iria Flavia: Igreja de Santa
María – façade (commons.wikimedia.org).
Iria Flavia: Igreja de Santa
María – tympanum over main door (commons.wikimedia.org).
Next to the church is the cemetery
of Adina, which also preserves a Swabian necropolis of the 6th century. (The
church is sometimes referred to as Santa María de Adina.) On the opposite of
the road from the façade is the Casas dos Cóengos (Houses of the Canons), built
in the late 18th century.
After
Iria, the Camino rout mainly took a quiet road, running between the N-550 and
railroad tracks. Along this road were several hórreos, as we passed through a series of small hamlets: Romeris,
Quintáns, Rueiro, Cambela, and Vilar.
9:57 AM – After Iria: business selling statues
of Santiago, cruceiros, and
fountains.
10:09 AM – After Iria: mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle finials on roof, supported by transverse walls (mild telephoto 49 mm).
10:09 AM – After Iria: another mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle finials
on roof, and horizontal vents on end, partly supported by transverse walls
(telephoto 156 mm).
We met two young Italian ladies and an older French woman, with whom we walked for some time (mainly MT was able to talk with them).
10:11 AM – After Iria: another mixed hórreo, between vineyard and street (with
MT and pilgrim friends), with pinnacle finial on this end of roof, supported by
transverse walls.
10:11 AM – After Iria: other end of same mixed hórreo, between vineyard and street,
with cross finial and door on this end, supported by transverse walls.
10:12 AM – After Iria: another mixed hórreo, overgrown with vines, with pinnacle
finial on this end and no sign of a finial on the other end.
10:13 AM – After Iria: another mixed hórreo, with pinnacle and cross finials
on roof (telephoto 105 mm).
10:13 AM – After Iria: mixed hórreo with no finials on roof, wooden
slats on end as well as sides, supported by transverse walls.
10:14 AM – After Iria: MT, one of the Italian
ladies and French woman on narrow street between stone walls; Camino scallop sign
at left pointing the way.
10:19 AM – After Iria: MT, both Italian ladies
and French woman on paved path after village.
10:22 AM – After Iria: sign on utility pole
between path and cornfield, for “A Casa da Meixida (Hotel Rustico) a 1000m
Detrás Gasolinera Repsol” (The House of Meixida (Rustic Hotel) in 1000 m Behind
the Repsol Gas Station).
Don took a photo of this sign because it was our first indication of the name of a village since leaving Iria.
A Google search found that the Casa
da Meixida is in the village of A Escravitude. So, in 1 km we would come to the
village of A Escravitude.
Meanwhile, we passed through or near other villages and saw more hórreos.
10:24 AM – Before A Escravitude: two mixed hórreos on the way into a village, both
with pinnacle and cross finials on roof and supported on transverse walls, and
a small cruceiro.
10:25 AM – Before A Escravitude: another mixed hórreo with pinnacle and cross finials
on roof and supported on different type of transverse walls.
10:25 AM – Before A Escravitude: other end of same mixed hórreo with metal door on end.
10:25 AM – Before A Escravitude: village with at
least 3 hórreos, in distance, across
vineyard.
10:26 AM – Before A Escravitude: sheep under grapevines.
10:30 AM – Before A Escravitude: another sign
for A Casa da Meixida, this time changed to “ 200” meters; another sign for “O
Descanso” Café Bar with breakfast, sandwiches, and sellos in 50 meters; yellow arrow below signs on post.
According to terrasdeiria.com, O Descanso
(The Rest) is a café bar in the village of Santa María de Cruces in the
municipality of Padrón; it is situated on the N-550 highway 5 km from Padrón
and 15 km from Santiago. However, www.paxinasgelegas.es lists the address
as in A Escravitude.
According to Google Maps, the
distance from A Escravitude to Santiago is 17.3 km via N-550.
The Camino route would pass through
Santa María de Cruces AFTER A Escravitude.
10:30 AM – Before A Escravitude: road sign
pointing left to Vilar and right to Tarrio, both in the Concello de Padrón.
The Camino route would pass through
Vilar before coming to A
Escravitude.
10:33 AM – Before A Escravitude: view through
grape vines of mixed hórreo with
cross and pinnacle finials (telephoto 93 mm).
10:34 AM – Before A Escravitude: stronger telephoto view (187 mm) of same mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle finials.
10:36 AM – Before A Escravitude: another mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle finials
and wooden sides painted blue (telephoto 187 mm).
10:37 AM – Before A Escravitude: two hórreos in distance (mild telephoto 44
mm). This presented a challenge to get a closer view, at least of the one on
the left.
10:37 AM – Before A Escravitude: one of those two hórreos (the left) with cross and pinnacle finials on roof and brick on sides (telephoto 156 mm).
Around Vilar, the Camino route briefly followed the rail line.
10:38 AM – Before A Escravitude: MT with two
Italians and French woman on path by railroad tracks.
10:41 AM – Before A Escravitude: cruceiro with vines – side with
Crucified Christ at top.
10:41 AM – Before A Escravitude: cruceiro with vines – other side with Virgin at top.
10:42 AM – A Escravitude: MT with her French and Italian friends crossing N-550 highway (because no sidewalk available on left side of street) near road sign pointing to Pedroso 1.5 km off to the right.
10:46 AM – A Escravitude: approaching Santuario
da Escravitude – façade with two bell towers and lantern over crossing of Latin
cross (mild telephoto 56 mm).
A
Escravitude
(or Esclavitude, both in Galego, or la esclavitud
in Spanish meaning slavery) is a village (pop. 89) in the parish of Santa María
das Cruces (or just Cruces, pop. 1,144) in the municipality of Padrón in the
province of A Coruña, belonging to the comarca
(region) of Sar.
Located in that village is the Santuario da Escravitude or Esclavitude
(Sanctuary of Slavery), which dates from the 18th century. The sanctuary is on
a hill on the banks of the Río Sar.
According to legend, in 1582 the
parish priest of Cruces was about to be crushed to death by a large chestnut
tree that had fallen on him during a storm. Thanks to his prayers, the Virgin
saved him from death. In gratitude, the priest ordered a stone image of the
Virgin and Child to be carved and on top of a fountain that was located in this
place. This became known as the Fonte Sacra (Holy Fountain). In the 18th
century, that fountain became considered miraculous because, according to
tradition, a sick man, who was being transported by os cart to Santiago in 1732
to request healing of his dropsy drank this water and prayed to the Virgin. Within
72 hours, without medical treatment, he was rid of the disease that enslaved
him. On seeing that he had been healed, the man exclaimed: “Grazas, Virxe, que
me libraches da escravitude do meu mal” (Thanks, Virgin, for releasing me from
the slavery of my ailment); hence the name of the sanctuary. The cured patient
donated his cart and two oxen, which were sold to start the construction of a
small chapel to guard the image of the Virgin. This event attracted many pilgrims
and devotees who wanted to be healed and made many donations for the
construction of the larger sanctuary. The initial construction of the sanctuary
began in 1743 and was completed in 1750, just 18 years after the miracle. An
inscription above the Holy Fountain reads: “Hoc opus conclusum vidimus, anno
Domini 1750.”The second tower was added in 1885. (Some sources say the first
tower was built in 1885 and the second one later.)
The church, in the Baroque style of
Compostela, has a single nave with a quadrangular apse. The floorplan of the
church is a Latin cross, and the crossing is topped by a cupola with lantern on
the outside.
10:47 AM – A Escravitude: approaching Santuario da Escravitude – façade with
two bell towers and railing of atrium (mild telephoto 38 mm).
A Escravitude: Santuario da
Escravitude – façade, with cruceiro
on atrium and fountain below (commons.wikimedia.org).
A Escravitude: Santuario da
Escravitude – three photos: façade, with cruceiro
on atrium; 2nd and 3rd bodies and pediment; doors and 2nd body (commons.wikimedia.org).
10:47 AM – A Escravitude: Santuario da Escravitude – sign, in Spanish, for
“Santuario de la Esclavitud” over arch sheltering fountain below atrium
(telephoto 156 mm).
As we were peeking through a small window in the closed church doors, a man (possibly the sacristan) came with a key and let us in. He then took us behind the main altar to the sacristy for sellos.
10:49 AM – A Escravitude: Santuario da Escravitude – view from rear of nave to
main altar in apse, with MT and Italian and French friends (horizontal).
10:49 AM – A Escravitude: Santuario da Escravitude – view from rear of nave to
main altar in apse, with MT and Italian and French friends (vertical, showing
more of vaulted ceiling).
Inside, in the main
chapel, there are some paintings of the Virgin and an altarpiece painted in
gold. The main altarpiece consists of three bodies; in the second body is a
niche in which the “miraculous” primitive stone image of the Virxe da
Escravitude is preserved, less than a meter tall. In the third body, adjusting
to the curvature of the vault, is a large plaque with the figure of Charity and
the coat of arms of the Shrine in relief. The altarpiece is topped by a pavilion,
in the form of a crown, which serves as a canopy, surrounded by angels.
10:49 AM (Cropped) – A Escravitude: Santuario da Escravitude –main
altar.
The single nave is divided into unequal rectangular sections by Tuscan pilasters attached to thick masonry walls. The pilasters support the cornice that gives rise to a barrel vault with lunettes in the second and third sections to accommodate windows. The transept is covered with a dome and the sacristy with an arched vault.
On the north side of the wide atrium
that surrounds the church, there is a Baroque cruceiro from the 18th century. It depicts Christ and the Virgin of
Slavery.
10:50 AM – A Escravitude: Santuario da
Escravitude – MT and Italian and French friends getting sellos in sacristy.
A Escravitude: Santuario da
Escravitude – sello for “Santaurio de
Nuestra Señora de la Esclavitud” with picture of church.
11:07 AM – After A Escravitude: view, across
vineyard, of two hórreos, one at left
with a tall body and wooden sides and one on right with brick sides (telephoto
218 mm).
11:07 AM – After A Escravitude: looking back at
same two hórreos, one at left with a
tall body and wooden sides and one on right with brick sides.
11:11 AM – After A Escravitude: mixed hórreo, with cross and pinnacle finials on roof, wood slats on sides of top part and bricks between the supporting transverse walls (mild telephoto 72 mm).
11:11 AM – After A Escravitude: gravel path,
next to stone wall, into woods.
11:13 AM – After A Escravitude: Camino marker
stone P.K. 16.234.
11:13 AM – After A Escravitude: Camino marker
stone P.K. 15.719 and sign with yellow arrow and scallop shell; blue arrow on
marker stone points opposite direction (to Fátima?); hiking shoes left behind,
near gravel path.
11:23 AM – After A Escravitude: mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle finials
on roof (perhaps an antenna next to the cross, similar to antenna on pole), wood
slats on sides of top part, bottom part bricked in between supporting
transverse walls (telephoto 119 mm).
11:24 AM – After A Escravitude: another mixed hórreo with pinnacle and cross finials
on roof, brick sides, and a woodpile between the supporting transverse walls.
11:25 AM – After A Escravitude: other end of
same mixed hórreo with pinnacle and
cross finials on roof, brick sides, and a woodpile between the supporting
transverse walls; this end has a metal door.
11:25 AM – After A Escravitude: outdoor laundry spot, apparently still in use.
11:26 AM – After A Escravitude: grapevines over
path.
11:27 AM – After A Escravitude: MT, Italian and
French friends and others on path beneath grapevines.
11:27 AM – After A Escravitude: mixed hórreo with no finials, supported on
transverse walls, among grapevines.
11:33 AM – After A Escravitude: hórreo with pinnacle and cross finials and brick sides.
11:33 AM – A Picaraña (or Angueria de Suso?): MT
with Italian and French friends and others, on narrow walkway between old
buildings.
11:39 AM – A Picaraña: sign for “Hospedaje [Lodging]
– Pensión Glorioso” at left and “Bar Glorioso” on awning at right. (Don took
this photo just to figure out the name of the village, although we would
eventually see a sign for leaving this village.)
According to Brierley’s guidebook,
Pensión Glorioso, “above restaurant of same name,” is in the village of Picaraña,
although his map calls it A Picaraña.
According to that map, the Camino route should have passed through Angueria de
Suso just before reaching A Picaraña.
A
Picaraña
is a village (pop. 83) in the parish of Cruces in the municipality of Padrón in
the province of A Coruña and belongs to the comarca
of Sar. It is on the N-550 highway about 9 km from the urban center of Padrón
and 15 km from Santiago (walking).
The sign on the side of the pensión
is for “La Dama del Lago” (The Lady of the Lake), a night club in A Picaraña.
11:57 AM – A Picaraña: sign for leaving the
village (telephoto 156 mm).
11:59 AM – A Picaraña: MT along shoulder of
N-550 highway, which we would follow 1 km to the village of Faramello, for which
there is a road sign on the other side of the highway pointing to the right.
11:59 AM (Cropped) – A Picaraña: road sign on
the other side of the highway pointing to the right to Faramello (there seems
to be another pilgrim continuing ahead on the left shoulder).
After A Picaraña, Brierley’s
guidebook said: “We have another one kilometre stretch of main road up to a steep
bend where we need to cross over at sign for Faramello.”
12:03 PM – Faramello: defaced road sign for
“[Fara]mello; just behind it to the left is a pole with a green sign for “O
Faramello” in the “Concello de Rois” above another sign from that municipality
for “Parroquia de Santa María de Ribasar” and “Pazo do Faramello”; farther down
the road to the left is another sign for entering “O Faramello” (not defaced).”
O Faramello (or just
Farmello) is a village (pop. 16) in the parish of Ribasar (pop. 381) in the
municipality of Rois (pop. 4,627) in the province of A Coruña belonging to the comarca of Sar. Faramello is close to
the boundary between the municipalities of Rois and Teo. The municipality of
Rois borders those of Dodro to the south, Padrón to the southeast, and Teo to
the east. The parish of Santa Mariña de Ribasar (or just Ribasar) is in the
east part of the municipality of Rois, where it borders on that of Teo.
Pazo is an ancient
word in the Galecian language (Galego) used to describe old manor houses,
normally of noble origin. The 18th-century Pazo
do Faramello is in the Compostelan Baroque style. In 1815, the Lord of
Faramello received a Royal Privilege giving him the right, although never exercised,
of being permitted to enter into the Cathedral of Santiago on horseback. In the
early decades of the 20th century, it still served as the summer residence of
the King of Spain. Nowadays, it is a family-owned business that hosts weddings
and banquets and is open for special group tours.
12:03 PM – Faramello: stone pillar with “Pazo do
Faramello” engraved on it.
12:03 PM – Faramello: second sign for entering “O Faramello” (not defaced) by bar (telephoto 105 mm).
After the village of Faramello, we entered the municipality of Teo.
Teo is a municipality
(pop. 18,266) in the province of A Coruña, belonging to the comarca of Santiago*.
*This, in retrospect, was the first
indication that we had crossed from the comarca
of Sar into the comarca of Santiago,
although politically we were still in the municipality of Teo. The comarca of Santiago is situated in the
province of A Coruña, with its capital in Santiago de Compostela. The comarca
includes 8 municipalities, including Teo, Ames, and Santiago de Compostela.
Coat of arms of Concello de
Teo (commons.wikimedia.org).
The coat of arms of the municipality of Teo has a blue shield with crossed golden sabers over an old bridge (probably the Ponte de Francos [Bridge of the Franks, also known as Ponte Rúa dos Francos, Ponte do río Tinto, or Ponte Romano de Paradela], possibly of Roman or medieval origin, over the Río Tinto in the municipality of Teo), with silver and blue wavy lines under the bridge (for the Río Tinto). Surrounding that shield is a border of red with 13 scallop shells, and the whole is topped with a royal crown.
It is said that the area of the
current municipality of Teo was the location of the Castro Lupario that was the
headquarters of Queen Lupa, from whom the disciples of Santiago requested
permission to bury the saint.
“CROSS
OF THE FRANKS:
“Cruceiro of archaic forms and simple
traces that Castelano describes in his last work ‘The Stone Crosses of
Galicia,” as a popular imitation of the Gothic cruceiros that we can date between the 14th and 15th centuries. The
cruceiro rises over a [penedo, crag?] with [coviñas, concavities?] and its cross,
with the only image that of the Crucified [Christ] is placed over a [pedrafita, pedestal?] with a cross
engraved on its front. It is found beside the Chapel of Franks an old crossing
on foot of the Camiño Portugués to Compostela. The two images of two pilgrims
situated on the sides of the cross testify to this old link with the Jacobean
route. It is considered one of the oldest cruceiros
of our country.
“SCHOOL:
“School
built during the Second Republic, thanks to the plan of education. There exist
others of the same plan in the municipality.”
12:25 PM – Rúa de Francos: Cruceiro de Francos –
front side with Crucified Christ at top (there was no image on the back side).
Rúa
de Francos
is a village (pop. 50) in the parish of Calo (pop. 3,961) in the municipality
of Teo (pop. 18,266) in the province of A Coruña, belonging to the comarca of Santiago. Located 14 km from
Santiago, it was one of the settlements of medieval pilgrims of French origin who
came to Santiago and its surroundings. Today’s Camino route joins the ancient
pilgrim way, which still retains its original name, Rúa de Francos (Street of the
Franks), at the Cruceiro do Francos.
There are about 50 cruceiros scattered in the 13 parishes
of the municipality of Teo. Possibly the one of greatest interest and
historical value is the Gothic cruceiro
known as Cruceiro de Rúa de Francos
(Cross of the Street of the Franks), Cruceiro do Francos (Cross of the Franks),
Cruceiro Rúa dos Francos, or Cruceiro de Calo (Cross of Calo). The cruceiro dates from the 14th or 15th century
and may retain some elements of the Romanesque style. This is not only one of
the oldest cruceiros in Galicia but
also one of the most singular in its appearance. There are many theories about
its origin, but all researchers agree in their interpretation of it as a
popular imitation of Gothic crosses.
Rúa de Francos: Cruceiro de
Francos – oblique view of front side with Crucified Christ at top and showing
smaller figures on side of cross (commons.wikimedia.org).
The old Gothic cross rests on an unadorned pedestal, also of granite. The main image on the cross is of the Crucified Christ in archaic and distorted forms with the traditional crown of thorns, a long loincloth fitted to the waist, and one foot mounted on top of the other. Flanking the figure of Christ, at the base of the cross, are four small, rudimentary figures very worn down by erosion and difficult to identify. Most likely, it is a double representation of Calvary with the Virgin and St. John at the feet of Christ, However, the Camiño Portugués passes beside here; so some interpret these as pilgrims. Yet others believe that these figures represent children, possibly indicating that children still unbaptized were buried in this place. Unlike the normal pattern for cruceiros, there is no figure on the back of the cross.
The cruceiro lacks a capital, and the cross is supported directly on a pedrafita [pedestal?] of beveled edges
with a cross engraved on the central part and on the side facing the path.
Another curiosity is that the laxe [Spanish
laja = slab, flagstone] that serves
as a base presents a dozen coviñas, [concavities?]
which were recently cataloged as one of the petroglyphs of the parish of Calo.
12:46 PM – After Rúa de Francos: mixed hórreo with pinnacle and cross finials
on corrugated metal roof and on a solid base (telephoto 187 mm).
12:51 PM – After Rúa de Francos: mixed hórreo with cross and pinnacle finials on roof and supported on a transverse walls (telephoto 156 mm).
12:53 PM – After Rúa de Francos: old building
with entrance up staircase on side; white sign on railing near top of stairs
says: “Finca particular – prohibido el paso” (Private property – passage
prohibited); road sign pointing to “Riotinto” with coat of arms of municipality
of Teo.
Riotinto is a village
(pop. 20) in the parish of Calo in the municipality of Teo in the province of A
Coruña, belonging to the comarca
(region) of Santiago.
12:57 PM – After Rúa de Francos: view from end
of mixed hórreo with no finials on
roof and supported on a transverse walls (telephoto 119 mm).
12:57 PM – After Rúa de Francos: view from side
of same mixed hórreo with no finials
on roof and supported on a transverse walls.
12:57 PM – After Rúa de Francos: another mixed hórreo with no finials on corrugated
metal roof (telephoto 119 mm).
MT 1:01 PM – After Rúa de Francos: sign for “Cuidado con el Perro” (Beware of the Dog).
1:31 PM – After Rúa de Francos: MT with Italian
and French friends on wooded path.
Finally, we reached the city of Milladoiro.
1:59 PM – Milladoiro: sign for entering village
of Milladoiro in parish of Biduído, with logo for Concello de Ames (mild
telephoto 63 mm).
Milladoiro (or O Milladoiro) is a ciudad (city, pop. 12,941) in the parish of Biduído in the municipality of Ames, in the province of A Coruña, belonging to the comarca of Santiago de Compostela. It is the most important urban center of the municipality. Milladoiro is in the southeast corner of the municipality of Ames, adjoining those of Teo (to the south) and Santiago (to the north). Milladoiro is now an exclusive residential suburb of Santiago.
There are several theories regarding the name Milladoiro. The most common is that it comes from humilladoiro; since it was the last place through which pilgrims passed before arriving in Santiago, it was a place where pilgrims knelt down and “humiliated” (humbled) themselves when they saw the towers of the Cathedral of Santiago for the first time and perceived how close their goal was. Another theory warns that “o milladoiro” is a deformation of o miradoiro, which in the local Galego language is the equivalent of the Spanish el mirodor, meaning scenic overlook (from which one could see the cathedral).
There are several theories regarding the name Milladoiro. The most common is that it comes from humilladoiro; since it was the last place through which pilgrims passed before arriving in Santiago, it was a place where pilgrims knelt down and “humiliated” (humbled) themselves when they saw the towers of the Cathedral of Santiago for the first time and perceived how close their goal was. Another theory warns that “o milladoiro” is a deformation of o miradoiro, which in the local Galego language is the equivalent of the Spanish el mirodor, meaning scenic overlook (from which one could see the cathedral).
Ames is a municipality
(pop. 30,544) in the province of A Coruña, belonging to the comarca of Santiago de Compostela.
Although Milladoiro is its most populated urban center, its capital is located
in Bertamiráns, which is in the geographic center of the municipality.
Coat of Arms of Municipality
of Ames (commons.wikimedia.org).
At 2:15 pm, we caught our first sight of Santiago de Compostela from the village of Milladoiro.
2:15 PM – Milladoiro: MT on paved path; possible
first view of Santiago in distance.
Past the main part of Milladoiro is
the Agro dos Monteiros, the highest
point of the day and the highest point of the Camino Portugués in Galicia.
Located at an altitude of 260 meters, it gives us the first view of Santiago
and the towers of the cathedral. In this respect, it is the equivalent of the
Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy) on the Camino Francés route.
2:15 PM – Milladoiro: first view of Santiago in
distance; one can see the towers of the Cathedral (telephoto 187 mm).
2:15 PM (Cropped) – Milladoiro: first view of
Santiago in distance; see the towers of the Cathedral in the red circle
(telephoto 187 mm).
2:21 PM – Milladoiro: mixed hórreo with 3 sections divided by stone pillars; pinnacle finial on
near end of roof with wide eaves, which comes to a point; and sitting atop a
stone wall; Camino scallop shell on utility pole at left.
2:21 PM – Milladoiro: other end of that mixed hórreo with 3 sections divided by stone pillars; cubical stub of finial on near end of roof with wide eaves, which contains the wooden door; and sitting atop a stone wall.
2:22 PM – Milladoiro: another hórreo with pinnacle finial on near end
of roof with wide eaves.
2:23 PM – Milladoiro: another mixed hórreo with pinnacle and cross finials
on roof and stained wood slats on side; round notches at bottoms of end walls
and vertical post dividing 2 sections (mild telephoto 49 mm).
2:23 PM – Milladoiro: other end (with door) or
that mixed hórreo with pinnacle and
cross finials on roof and stained wood slats on side; round notches at bottoms
of end walls and vertical post dividing 2 sections (mild telephoto 38 mm).
2:24 PM – Milladoiro: another mixed hórreo with no finials on roof and 2
stone (concrete) horizontal dividers as well as vertical post dividing 2
sections (mild telephoto 63 mm).
3:08 PM – After Milladoiro: wooden Camino de
Santiago sign and painted orange arrows at left (all seeming to point straight
ahead), and flags at right.
3:08 PM (Cropped) – After Milladoiro: flags of Spain (red and yellow) and Galicia (white and blue); below the Galician flag is a Camino marker post with scallop shell and arrow pointing to the path that goes off to the right.
After Milladoiro, the Camino route
crosses over the Río Sar on the Ponte Vella (Old Bridge), From that point,
there are two options: to go by A Choupana, the chapel of Santa Marta and down
Rosalía de Castro Street, or through the neighborhood of Conxo. Both ways come
together in the Praza de Vigo, in the Zona Nueva (New Zone) to the west of the
historical city center.
Approaching the city of Santiago from the
southwest, we stopped at Bar Cafetería A
Paradiña in Vidán to use the baño
and got sellos.
Vidán: Sello
from Bar Cafetería “A Paradiña - Santiago de Compostela” and stamped over that
with “Camiño Portugués 25-09-2016 Vidán.”
The Bar Cafetería A Paradiña is in Santiago de Compostela. It is on the
Camino Portugués 4.5 k m from the Cathedral. Internet sources show its address
as “Ponte Vella, 13 –Vidan – 15706 – Santiago de Compostela.” A Google map shows
it on Rúa da Ponte Vella de Arriba, which runs alongside the Río Sar, southwest
of the city of Santiago.
Vidán is a small barrio (neighborhood), with about 1,000
residents, situated to the southwest of Santiago de Compostela, on the way to
Noia, in the valley of the Río Sar.
The
man operating the bar told us about the shorter way from that point. We took
the option to the left shortly after the bar.
Santiago
de Compostela
is a cidade (city, pop. 95,671) in
the municipality of the same name in the province of A Coruña, belonging to the
comarca (region) of Santiago. It is
the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, and seat of the parliament
(Xunta) of Galicia. The population of the city is 95,671, but the metropolitan
area has 178,695. The city has both the new town (a zona nova in Galego) and the old town (a zona vella in Galego). The municipality has 30 parroquias (parishes), including A Conxa
(or Conja), through which the Camino route first enters the municipality, and 5
parishes within the city of Santiago.
Coat of arms of Santiago de
Compostela (By SanchoPanzaXXI - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3785228).
On the coat of arms of the city of
Santiago de Compostela, the blue shield is formed by two sections. In the right is the coat of arms of Galicia, consisting of a yellow or golden chalice with the white or silver Sacred Host above it,
surrounded by seven white or silver crosses (three on each side and one at top center). In the left are symbols of the city, consisting of the silver chest of the tomb of the Apostle Santiago, resting on silver clouds, and on top an eight-pointed star of radiant
gold or yellow, representing the bright star that was seen when the tomb was discovered. Atop the shield is the crown of the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and
Isabel), consisting of a gold circle set with precious stones and showing five of its eight acanthus leaf florets decorated with pearls, and behind the shield it is the Cross of Santiago.
Santiago’s original settlement
dates back to the 9th century, as do the beginnings of its cathedral, which
shelters the tomb of St. James, the patron saint of Spain. The old town is full
of dazzling examples of Gothic, Neoclassical, Romanesque, and Baroque design
and nearly all are on a grand or monumental scale. The city, now a UNESCO World
Heritage site, is one of the most beautiful in Europe, and the mostly
pedestrianized old center is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and plazas.
The name Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctu Iacobu (Saint James), for the
apostle St. James the Greater. Santiago (also San Iago, San Tiago, Santyago,
Sant-Yago, San Thiago) is a Spanish name that derives from the Hebrew Jacob
(Hebrew יַעֲקֹב Ya’akov, Greek Ἰάκωβος Iakubos), first
used to denote the apostle Saint James the Greater. Variants of Santiago
include Iago (a common Galician-language name); the common name James has many
forms in Iberia, including Xacobo or Xabobe in Galician or Jacobo or Diego in
Spanish.
There are two possibilities for the
origin of the name Compostela: the
more popular is that it comes from the Latin campus stellae (field of stars). But compostum (burial place) is better accepted by scholars.
In the Middle Ages, together with
Rome and Jerusalem, Santiago made up a trio of so-called “great pilgrimages,”
and was then, as today, one of the largest centers of pilgrimage in the
Christian world.
Santiago had its first settlements
in prehistoric times, and later with Celtic peoples settled in castros [hill forts]. In Roman times,
from the 1st to the 5th century, there was a town called Aseconia in the area
where the cathedral stands today. It was a stop on the Roman road Via XIX from
Bracara Augusta (Braga, now in Portugal) and Asturica Augusta (Astorga). That
town disappeared with the arrival of the Swabians, keeping the old Roman
necropolis (cemetery) that survived until the 7th century, although it was
sometimes used as a quarry. However, the place was not of consequence until the
9th century, when the pilgrimages to the city began.
Historical documents relating to
Compostela and dating from the 9th to 12th centuries place the “discovery” of
the Apostle’s tomb in the early part of the 9th century, between 813 and 820.
History and legend are intermingles in the account. The tomb was supposedly
discovered by the hermit Pelayo in the vicinity of Mahía, and identified by
Theodomir, Bishop of Iria Flavia (the most influential city in the vicinity at
the time), as the burial mound of the Apostle. The event was variously
described as a “discovery” and an “invention,” and the site was described as
the holy grave of the Apostle where worship was rendered.
The grave of the Apostle was found
in dense woodland. The burial chamber was a small room decorated with marble
and had a floor paved with mosaic, below which were interred the saint’s
remains. Alongside lay the bodies of the disciples, whose tombs survive. The
grave formed part of a more complex Roman building: a pagan mausoleum with a cella (sanctuary) that was taken over by
Christians in the earliest phase of evangelization. Archaeological excavations
revealed that the mausoleum was situated in a Roman and Visigothic necropolis,
in use from the 1st to 7th centuries.
Modern historical investigation has
revealed that well before the 9th century, both in the Iberian peninsula and
outside it, there existed a firm belief that St. James had preached in Spain
and the western provinces of the Roman Empire, and that after his beheading and
martyrdom at the hands of Herod Agrippa in 44 AD he was buried at or in Arca Marmorica [a marble arch or ark],
although whether this was a stone vessel or the name of a place is uncertain.
This tradition was recorded by St. Jerome in the 4th century and by the English
Bishop Aldhelm of Malmesbury (650-709).
Long before the discovery of tomb
in Spain, the Visigoths already venerated St. James. His evangelization of
Spain and burial there were already accepted as fact in the 6th century. The
Visigoth King Reccared (ca. 559-601, ruled 586-601) referred to him as “the
sole patron of Spain” as early as 587 AD, when he converted from Arianism to the
Christian faith. In the middle of the 7th century, St. Isidore of Seville
recorded that the Sueve [Swabians] and Visigoths identified the western parts
of Spain as the place where St. James had preached, that he was beheaded by
Herod, and that he was buried in a place known as Arca Marmorica; however, this text mixes biblical tradition,
history, and legend.
Despite the Muslim invasion of 711
and the destruction of the Visigothic kingdom, the new kingdom of Asturias and
Galicia kept this jacobean tradition alive. A document, without naming the
city, refers to local features (such as Monte Ilicino, today the Pico Sacro);
it also mentions the names of the disciples (Theodore and Athanasius) and the
fact of their burial in the Apostle’s mausoleum. Alongside this source of
hagiography (literature about saints’ lives and legends), the foundation of a
church at Meilan by Odoario, Bishop of Lugo, is placed in the 7th century; it
was dedicated to St. James—indicating that, in this instance at least, the
ancient jacobean tradition was taken for granted.
It is important to be aware of the
“discovery” and the reasons for identifying it with the tomb of St. James on
the part of those who found it. On the face of it, they must have felt they had
clear proof, including the testimony of viable authorities. Today, the
conclusions regarding the authenticity of the tomb of the Apostle, based on
archaeological investigation, can also be said to offer an effective defense.
With the discovery of the tomb of
St. James, King Alfonso II of Asturias (759-842, ruled 791-842) undertook the
first Christian pilgrimage to the new city of Santiago, looking for internal
cohesion to govern and external support to consolidate his kingdom. Alfonso II
regularly sent envoys and letters to Charlemagne, which led to French interest
in the cult of Santiago. The news spread quickly, and people began to travel
there to visit the grave, giving rise to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
This pilgrimage became extremely popular, especially since Jerusalem was then
in the hands of the Muslims.
The city of Santiago grew
progressively, from a church community to a more diverse community with an influx
of people from neighboring villages. However, in 997, the city was destroyed by
Moorish troops, who complied with the order of the caliph to preserve the tomb
of St. James. The gradual return of inhabitants and reconstruction in the
mid-11th century provided a defensive wall.
MT 3:35 PM – Santiago: Pilgrim crossing sign with
pilgrim’s stance and rays of scallop shell pointing opposite direction from
yellow arrow.
Once we reached the outskirts of the city of Santiago, the Camino route was no longer well marked. As we got into the busier parts of the city, Camino signs—if present—were harder to see and were sometimes confusing. Mainly, we had to navigate by using the map in Brierley’s guidebook and a more detailed map of the city saved from pervious caminos.
3:35 PM – Santiago: MT filling her water bottle
from lion head fountain on wall; sign above fountain says “Agua apta para o
consumo humano” (Water fit for human consumption).
MT 3:37 PM – Santiago: MT filling her water
bottle from lion head fountain on wall.
After many turns that seemed out of the way, we came into the city on Rúa Rosalía de Castro, which turned into Avenida de Don Xoán Carlos I, which led us to near the beginning of Rúa do Franco.
3:46 PM – Santiago: street (later identified as Avenida
de Rosalía de Castro by storefront on right for “Maday - Su Tienda de Muebles” [Maday
– Your Store of Furniture]); down the street in distance is a church tower.
Maday
Muebles Santiago
(Maday Furniture Santiago) is located on Avenida de Rosalía de Castro in
Santiago. There is also one on Rúa do Hórreo (or just O Hórreo), farther east,
in Santiago, but Internet photos of this particular storefront give the address
as Avenida de Rosalía de Castro.
3:46 PM Cropped) – Santiago: street (further
identified as Avenida de Rosalía de Castro by the church tower (probably Igrexa
do Pilar) in distance, where name of street changes to Avenida de Xoán Carlos
I after curve.
The Igrexa do Pilar (Church of Pilar) or Igrexa de Nossa Señora do
Pilar (Church of Our Lady of Pilar) is located on Avenida de Xoán Carlos I in
Santiago. It was built in 1717 in Baroque style. Two bell towers flank the
façade.
Santiago: Igrexa do Pilar –
façade and bell towers (commons.wikimedia.org).
Santiago: Igrexa do Pilar
– bell towers in silhouette, similar to one in Don's photo (commons.wikimedia.org).
The Rúa do Franco is probably the liveliest street in the historic center of the city of Santiago, the Zona Vella (Old Zone), full of tapas bars and souvenir shops. The name of the street comes from the pilgrims, mostly of French origin, who came to the Cathedral by way of this street. It leads directly into the Praza do Obradoiro and Praza das Praterías (two of the squares surrounding the Cathedral).
On
the way into town, just before changing from Rúa do Franco to Rúa do Vilar, we bought fruit at a frutería (fruit store).
Once
in the historic center, we went directly to the Cathedral, approaching from the south side.
4:04 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – south façade and
clock tower, Torre da Trinidade (Don accidentally took a video, but was able to
freeze first scene, use PrintScreen, and save as jpg photo).
The Praza das Praterías (Square of the Silversmiths) has two levels.
Some stairs lead to the southern façade of the Cathedral, which in turn leads
into the south transept of the Latin cross. It is the only Romanesque façade
preserved in the Cathedral. The Romanesque double doorway was built between
1103 and 1117, and elements from other parts of the Cathedral have been added
in subsequent years.
MT 4:10 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Don and MT in
square below steps to south façade and clock tower, Torre da Trinidade.
4:10 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – steps leading to
south façade; base of Torre da Trinidade at right.
MT 4:12 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – south side of
Torre da Trinidade.
The Cathedral’s clock tower, Torre da Trinidade (Tower of the
Trinity) is at the intersection of the Praza das Praterías (on the Cathedral’s
south side) and the Praza da Quintana (on the east side). With a height of 75
meters (some sources say 72), the same as the two towers of the west façade, it
can be seen throughout the city. Sometimes it is just called Torre do Reloxo
(Clock Tower). It is also called by the curious name of Torre de (la) Berenguela, in honor of the Archbishop Berenguel de
Landoira (or Bérenger de Landore in his native French), who oversaw the
completion of its original construction in the 14th century, although
construction may have begun in 1316, at the request of his predecessor
Archbishop Rodrigo de Padrón. (Berenguel was appointed archbishop of Santiago
de Compostela in 1317 and served until his death in 1330, although he didn’t
take possession of the archdiocese until 1322 because there was a Galician
rival.) Originally in the Romanesque style, it was a sturdy defensive turret in
which the battlements were no higher than the clock’s present-day position. The
present top, with two more floors, was added between 1676 and 1680, with
Baroque ornamentation surrounding two bells, the largest of which is also
called (la) Berenguela.
Santiago: Cathedral – east side of Torre da Trinidade on Praza da Quintana
(commons.wikimedia.org).
We looked briefly inside the Cathedral.
4:15 PM
– Santiago: Cathedral – view from rear of nave to main altar in apse, pulley
for Botafumeiro in cupola.
We arrived at Hospedería San Martiño Pinario at 4:30 pm, checked in, and showered.
Santiago: sello from “San Martiño Pinario, Hospedería Seminario Mayor” with stylized
scallop shell.
Then we tried to get our compostela certificates, going first to Rúa Vilar where the Oficina del Peregrino (Pilgrim Office) had been on our two previous caminos. We found that it had been moved to a new location on Rúa das Carretas. We went there, but there was a long line and we had to leave for the 7:30 pm pilgrim mass in the Cathedral. The guard at the Pilgrim Office told us to come back right after mass, before 8:45 and they would take care of us.
Santiago: Cathedral – east side on Praza da Quintana, with Porta Sacra in wall directly
behind the Cathedral’s curved apse, and the cupola behind that (By Laszlo
Daroczy from Miskolc, Hungary - DSC_0255, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43728914).
Next, we went around to the Holy Door on the east side, which was
open because this was a Holy Year of Mercy.
6:35 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Holy Door on
east side; at ths time, a short line led to stairs up behind main altar to embrace the
statue of Santiago and steps down to the crypt.
The Porta Sacra (Holy Door), sometimes referred to as the Porta do
Perdón (Door of Pardon), in on the east side the Cathedral. However, it is only
open in Holy Years. Normally the next Holy Year would not have been until 2021,
but Pope Francis had declared a special Holy Year of Mercy in 2016. The current
bronze door was created in 2004. Inside this door, through a small courtyard, is the true Holy Door, which
enters into the ambulatory around the apse of the church.
The Holy Door was one of the seven
lesser doors of the Cathedral and was dedicated to St. Pelagius (Pelayo or
Paio), whose monastery is opposite
The door is flanked by 24
Romanesque sculptures of biblical figures (including St. James) that were once
part of the Cathedral’s original stone choir, created by Maestro Mateo and his
team in the late 12th century. The upper part is dominated by the figures of
the Apostle Santiago and his disciples Atanasio and Teodoro.
Down the street from the east side of the Cathedral was the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares.
7:00 PM – Santiago: tower and cupola of convent
church of San Paio, off east side of Cathedral (telephoto 93 mm).
The Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares (Monastery or Convent of San
Paio de Antealtares) is located on the Praza da Quintana de Vivos. Benedictine
monks originally dedicated their monastery to San Pedro (St. Peter). This
Benedictine community had been founded in the 9th century (sometime in the
decade 820-830) in order to look after the recently discovered tomb of the
Apostle Santiago and provide liturgical service and attention to the earliest
pilgrims. During the medieval extension of the Cathedral, the primitive
monastery was moved a few meters to the east, occupying land that is currently
part of the Praza de Quintana. Construction of a new monastery was begun in the
11th century. In the first half of the 12th century, Archbishop Diego Gelmírez (Xelmírez
in Gallego) removed the tomb of Santiago from the custody of the Benedictines,
giving that function to a new and vast cathedral clergy. The monks were forced
to reorient their goals and priorities and, toward the middle of the 12th
century, however, the monastery and its church were renamed, dedicated to San
Paio (St. Pelayo), a Galician child who was martyred in Cordoba in 925. In
1256, the monastery was again moved a few meters east to almost its current
location, in order to make more space for the Cathedral and a cemetery in the
current Praza da Quintana. Since the Benedictine monks left in 1499, the
monastery (convent) has been occupied by cloistered Benedictine nuns. The
present structure, in Baroque style, belongs almost entirely to the 17th and
18th centuries, since the original one was demolished.
Santiago: view across Praza
da Quintana de Vivos of wall of Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares with the
convent church around behind it (commons.wikimedia.org).
The Praza da Quintana, on the east side of the Cathedral, is a wide square with a broad staircase separating the lower part Quintana de Mortos (Quintana of the Dead), which was a burial ground until 1780) from the upper Quintana de Vivos (Quintana of the Living). On the east side of the latter, opposite the Cathedral, is the wall of the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares. The word quintana is the same as praça, and both words were used in the Middle Ages to define open spaces for public use. Thus, the Praza da Quintana is a square par excellence.
Then
we went into the Cathedral for the
7:30 pm pilgrim mass. The famous Botafumeiro
was not used at this mass.
7:13 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – view from south
transept to north transept, with Botafumeiro
hanging below the cupola in the crossing.
After
mass, we swung by the Hospederia San Martiño Pinario to get our first two credencial books (we had filled our
first ones by the time we left Porto) and our jackets (it was now chilly). Then
we hurried to the Pilgrim Office and were there well before 8:45 (signs said
they close at 9 pm). However, there was a different guard at the door, who was
turning people away and would not let us in.
On the way back to Rúa do Franco to get something to eat, we passed through the Praza do Obradoiro on the west side of the Cathedral.
MT 8:47 PM – Santiago: Praza do Obradoiro at
night.
We then went to Restaurante Porta Faxeira (Rúa do Franco 50) to redeem the voucher the hotel in Dodro had given us for two free wines and tapas. We tried to order tapas off the menu, but the waiter said we could only have the tapa of the day with that voucher—it was empanada caseira (house empanada). Later we ordered two “tapa caldo gallego” Galician soup (€3.60 each, for a total of €7.20).
The Porta Faxeira was the traditional Portuguese entrance into Santiago
de Compostela. However, the historic gate no longer exists.
The name empanada comes from the
Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap
or coat with bread (pan). An empanada is a type of baked or fried
pastry made by folding dough over a stuffing, which may consist of meat,
cheese, corn, or other ingredients.
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