092616 Santiago de Compostela

We went to the breakfast buffet in Hospedería San Martiño Pinario (included with our room, but normally cost €10 each). In the breakfast room we met MT’s Italian and French friends, who had tried to get a room like ours there (€40 per person), on MT’s recommendation. No rooms like ours were available, but they were able to get a room over in the hotel part for €75 (split 3 ways), although that didn’t include the breakfast. They had come to the breakfast room just to look for us, but didn’t eat there.

Monday, ‎September ‎26, ‎2016, 8:38 AM – Santiago: Hospederia San Martiño Pinario – breakfast room; on wall at left are steps up to a lectern where a monk used to read scriptures during meals.

10:20 AM – Santiago: Hospederia San Martiño Pinario – 2 Italian girls talking to MT in breakfast room.

We then went back to the Oficina del Peregrino (Pilgrim Office) around 10:30 am and stood in a very long line to get our compostela certificates. They stamped both books for each of us, and we bought a cylinder to protect the certificates. MT took a long time, since the lady put the wrong year on hers and then they talked a lot. While Don was waiting, another lady behind the counter pointed to his “siguelaflecha” (follow the arrow) T-shirt and gave him a thumbs up. Later, while MT was still engaged, she came over and asked Don (in English) where he got the shirt, and he had to explain that it was a gift from a friend who had done a Camino earlier that year and he didn’t know where she got it.

10:36 AM – Santiago: Pilgrim Office – sign about “Certificado de Distáncia” (Certificate of Distance) with picture of a certificate at a price of 3€ and text in Spanish, English, German, French, and Italian; English text: “We can provide a Personalized Certificate which records the number of kilometers you have walked as well as where and when you started and the date you finished your pilgrimage.” (mild telephoto 72 mm).

10:43 AM – Santiago: Pilgrim Office – MT (in white jacket) at counter getting her compostela certificate.

Santiago: Pilgrim Office – first page of Don’s first (of two) credencial book, with stamps for beginning at Sé Patriartcal Lisboa (Patriarchal Cathedral of Lisbon) and completion in Santiago by Oficina de Acogida al Peregrino - S.A.M.I. Catedral - Santiago (Office of Welcome to Pilgrims - S.A.M.I. [Holy Apostolic Metropolitan Church] - Santiago) (passport number and address removed).

On the opposite page (right) are instructions on use of the credencial and  how to earn a compostela, in Spanish that translate:

“IMPORTANT before beginning the Camino de Santiago

“This credential is only for pilgrims on foot, bicycle or horseback, who desire to make the pilgrimage in a Christian sense, even if only in an attitude of search. The credential has the objective of identifying the pilgrim; therefore the institution that provides it must be a Parish, Confraternity, Association of the Friends of the Camino de Santiago, etc. The credential does not generate rights to the pilgrim but has two practical purposes:

“Access to the hostels that offer Christian hospitality of the Way.

“To request the ‘Compostela’ in the Cathedral of Santiago, which is the certification of having completed the pilgrimage.

“The ‘Compostela’ is granted only to those who make the pilgrimage in a Christian sense: devotionis affectu, voti vel pietotis causa[motivated by devotion, vow, or piety], and only those who come to the tomb of the Apostle, having travelled at least the last 100 kilometers on foot or on horseback, or 200 km on bicycle.

The pilgrim’s credential, therefore, can only be issued by the Church or through its own institutions (Bishopric, Parish, Confraternity, etc.) or [institutions] authorized [by the Church] (Federation of Associations, Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago, etc.). Only in this way can the ‘Compostela’ be granted in the S.A.M.I. [Santa, Apostólica y Metropolitana Iglesia, (Holy, Apostolic and Metropolitan Church)] Cathedral of Santiago (Days of the Holy Year: November 1993. Hostels have no subsidies and should be kept within their austerity, with collaboration of pilgrims (cleaning, care of installations, facilitation of rest, economic aid …)_.

“Groups organized with a support vehicle or bicycles are kindly requested to seek alternative shelter other than the pilgrim hostels.

“The bearer of this credential accepts these conditions.”

www.xacobeo.fr offers this additional information, from the Confraternity of Saint James of South Africa at www.csjofsa.za.org : “You can obtain your compostela by presenting yourself, some form of official identification (like your government-issued travel passport) and your completed pilgrim’s credential.” “Those who do not include ‘spiritual’ in their reason for making the pilgrimage will be offered another document, a certificado, to commemorate their having completed the Camino.” “Sellos can be obtained at most hotels and inns, restaurants and bars, churches, museums, city halls, police stations and at all albergues.” “Generally one sello per day is sufficient, but the Pilgrims’ Office in Santiago advises that all pilgrims should obtain two per day during the final 100 km if on foot or the last 200 km if on bicycle.”

Santiago: Pilgrim Office – first page of Don’s first credencial book, with stamps for beginning at Sé Patriartcal Lisboa (Patriarchal Cathedral of Lisbon) and completion in Santiago by Oficina de Acogida al Peregrino - S.A.M.I. Catedral - Santiago (Office of Welcome to Pilgrims - S.A.M.I. [Holy Apostolic Metropolitan Church] - Santiago) (passport number and address removed).

Santiago: Pilgrim Office – first page of MT’s second credencial book, with stamps for beginning this part at Matosinhos (Porto) and completion in Santiago by Oficina de Acogida al Peregrino - S.A.M.I. Catedral - Santiago (Office of Welcome to Pilgrims - S.A.M.I. [Holy Apostolic Metropolitan Church] - Santiago) (passport  number and address removed).

Santiago: Pilgrim Office – Don’s compostela certificate.

Santiago: Pilgrim Office – MT’s  compostela certificate.

Then we hurried to the Cathedral around 11 am to get good seats for the 12 noon pilgrim mass. We passed by the Hospederia San Martiño Pinario.

10:57 AM – Santiago: Hospederia San Martiño Pinario – end with door to the Hospederia part; the banner by the door says “Hospederia Seminario Mayor”; part of east end of Pazo de Xelmirez at left

10:57 AM – Santiago: Monastery of San Martiño Pinario – part to the right of the banner for “Hospederia Seminario Mayor.”

At the Cathedral, MT wanted to sit in the main nave, and we found two seats in a pew just behind the roped-off (reserved) section. However, Don thought the south transept, where we had sat the night before, would be a better place to see the swinging of the Botafumeiro (giant incense burner), IF that would happen at this mass. From where we sat, we could barely see the main altar (the new altar part) and the presiding priest, whose homily was about “La Mochila de la Vida” (The Backpack of Life).

11:17 AM – Santiago: Cathedral – view from south transept to north transept, with rope for Botafumeiro hanging from pulley in cupola.

Every day at noon, there is a pilgrims’ Mass. The ceremony sometimes culminates in the swinging of the botafumeiro [literally, smoke belcher], a massive silver incense burner said to be the largest in the Catholic world. (The only larger one is in Oldenburg, Germany.) It takes six to eight men in a team called a tiraboleiros to pull the ropes that propel the massive silver apparatus high into the vaulted transepts and get it swinging across the cathedral. This was originally used to fumigate the sweaty (and possibly disease-ridden) pilgrims.

The first botafumeiro appeared here in the 13th century. It was replaced by another one presented by King Louis XI of France. Unfortunately, this silver botafumeiro was stolen by Napoleon’s troops when they looted the cathedral during the Peninsular War and disappeared without any trace. The next botafumeiro was an iron copy of the previous one. The current botafumeiro dates from 1851, made of silver-plated brass.

The botafumeiro is 1.6 m (5 ft) tall and weight 62 kg (136 lbs), It is filled with about 40 kg (88 lbs) of coals and incense, making the total weight over 100 kg (224 lbs). It hangs from a rope that is 65 m (213 ft) long and 5 cm in diameter. When swinging in an arc of 65 m (213 ft) across the transept between the north door of the Azabachería and the south door of the Silversmiths, it can reach a speed of 68 km/hr (42.25 mph). After 17 round trips, it can reach a height of 21 m (68 ft) an angle of 82°.

During Mass, the best place to sit is on either side of the main altar, so that the botafumeiro seems to skim the top of your head before it swings back to the roof of the cathedral.

Because of the complicated and manpower-intensive ritual, this became an infrequent event during the pilgrim mass. (In 2013, we had heard that someone had to pay 400€ for them to do it and that it was good to attend the mass when a large group of Japanese tourists would pay for it.) It was always swung on St. James’s Day (July 25) and other special feast days. In 2004, the seating capacity was permanently extended from 700 to 1,000.

11:18 AM – Santiago: Cathedral – view of cupola dome with pulley for Botafumeiro (telephoto 105 mm).

11:38 AM – Santiago: Cathedral – view from south transept to north transept, with rope for Botafumeiro hanging from pulley in cupola – with lights turned on.

Near the end of the mass, Don saw two men in red robes moving the lectern off the altar area, in preparation for the swinging of the Botafumeiro.

12:49 PM – Santiago: Cathedral –Tiraboleiros in darker red-robes starting to pull the rope to lower the Botafumeiro and another holding it still for lighting the incense by priest in brighter red robe.

12:49 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Tiraboleiros standing by as priests light the incense.

12:50 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro starting to smoke, priests back behind altar (mild telephoto 56 mm).

12:50 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – one of the Tiraboleiros starting Botafumeiro to swing as others are ready to pull the rope (mild telephoto 56 mm).

MT 12:52 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro starting to smoke and swing toward south transept.

12:50 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro starting to rise as Tiraboleiros pull on the rope (mild telephoto 56 mm).

MT 12:52 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro starting to rise.

12:50 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro continuing to rise and swing as Tiraboleiros pull on the rope (mild telephoto 56 mm).

MT 12:52 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro continuing to rise and swing into south transept as Tiraboleiros pull on the rope.

MT 12:52 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro swinging back into north transept.

MT 12:52 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro swinging back into south transept.

MT 12:53 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Botafumeiro swinging back over us into south transept.

Wednesday, ‎September ‎24, ‎2014, 12:51 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – smoking Botafumeiro swinging back over us (in 2014, Don was lucky enough to catch this with 220 mm telephoto).

MT 12:54 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – VIDEO (with music) of Botafumeiro swinging  (HOWEVER, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO VIEW IT.).

12:50 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Tiraboleiros pulling on the rope (telephoto 156 mm).

12:53 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – one of the Tiraboleiros catching the Botafumeiro, which swung him around (mild telephoto 56 mm).

MT 12:55 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – priest approaching the Botafumeiro.

Right after the pilgrim mass, we went out to the Praza da Quintana to get in line for entering the Porta Sacra.

12:57 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – MT (in white jacket) ready to enter bronze outer door of the Porta Sacra; an attendant is at the interior stone doorway.

Once through the Porta Sacra, we entered the ambulatory around the apse. From there, we were able to go through one door that led to steps up behind the main altar to embrace the statue of Santiago, then another door to steps that led down to the crypt with the tomb of Santiago. After exiting the crypt, we had to go through a passageway outside the apse but still within the wall on Praza da Quintana, in order to exit by another door.

1:04 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – exterior of rounded apse from passage near exit from crypt; scaffolding around one of the towers of west façade in background.

Then we went back to Hospedería San Martiño Pinario.

1:13 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – view from our room of roof and top of façade of Facultade de Medicina building behind the Hospederia.

The Facultade de Medicina e Ocontoloxía (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry) of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela is located on Rúa de San Francisco. The study of medicine in Santiago goes back to 1648 in the College of Fonseca. It later became part of the University of Santiago (founded in 1495), but remained located in the College of Fonseca until the early 20th century. Its current building was constructed between 1910 and 1928. It is a monumental building of eclectic style. In September 2016, the Government of Galicia authorized the construction of a new building for this faculty.

Santiago: Facultade de Medicina – façade, with monument to San Francisco at end of block at right (commons.wikimedia.org).

Santiago: view to north up Rúa de San Francisco with Facultade de Medicina on left, monument of San Francisco at end of block, and tower of Convento de San Francisco at end of block at right (commons.wikimedia.org).

1:13 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – view to right (north) from our room of tower(s) and part of façade of Convento de San Francisco.

1:15 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – beds in our room (No. 428).

1:15 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – doors to corridor and closet in our room.

1:16 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – doors to corridor with semi-opaque window at the top of the door let in lots of light from the corridor, so that during the night we had to hang two layers of towels over it (mild telephoto 38 mm).

1:16 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – “Planta Cuarta” (Room Plan) of our floor in a wing that stuck out to the north of the main body of the Hospederia; our room marked with red circle for “Usted está aquí” (You are here); legend for Evacuation Route, Light for Signaling and Emergence, Powder Extinguisher, Button for Alarm, and Hydrant of Fire Equipment.

1:23 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – view of Convento de San Francisco towers and top of façade from north end of 4th floor to right of our room (No, 428).

Around 1:30 pm, we went to the comedor (dining room) of Hospedería San Martiño Pinario for their €12 (each) 3-course lunch menu.

2:32 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – lunch menu of comedor for September 26: for Entrante (starter) there was a choice between Lentajas estofadas (Braised lentils) and Arroz a la marinera (Rice with seafood [literally in the sailor style]); for the Segundo (Main Course) the choices were Merluza a la gallega (Boiled hake with potatoes, peas, and sweet paprika) or Filete empanado con ensalada y patatas (Breaded fillet with side salad and potatoes); for Postre (Dessert), the choice was Natillas de chocolate (Chocolate custard) or Crema de yogurt (Yoghurt cream); also included in the €12 price were Bread, Mineral Water, wine and Coffee/infusion. At the bottom of the menu are the hours of the comedor (1-3:30 pm) and a note to “Ask for our children’s menu.”

For the entrante (starter), MT has lentils (soup), and Don had rice with seafood. For main course, we both had Merluza a la Gallega (hake in Galician style). For dessert, MT had yogurt cream, and Don had chocolate custard (pudding).

1:36 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – comedor (dining room), MT getting ready to sit on left.

1:38 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – comedor (dining room), MT with house wine “Refectorio” (Refectory), which came with the menu meal.

A refectory is the dining hall of a monastery or convent.

MT 1:48 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – comedor (dining room), house wine “Refectorio” (Refectory), which came with the menu meal.

1:40 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – comedor (dining room), Don’s rice with seafood; clams in shells (Don saved one double shell), mussels, and a third (unidentified) type of seafood.

1:58 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – comedor (dining room), Don’s Merluza a la gallega (needed spice).

2:19 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – other end of comedor (dining room), the old refectory, with coats of arms on vaulted ceiling and end wall.

2:24 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – other end of comedor (dining room), the old refectory, with coats of arms on vaulted ceiling.

2:31 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario -­ courtyard and tower (across from comedor).

2:33 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario - courtyard, with fountain (across from comedor).

2:32 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – statue of Santiago Peregrino between comedor and entrance to building.

2:34 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – long corridor between statue of Santiago Peregrino and entrance to building.

2:34 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – doorway with tympanum in hall near entrance to building (mild telephoto 49 mm).

4:50 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – tympanum of doorway in hall near entrance to building (telephoto 72 mm).

This seems to be a somewhat weathered, small-scale reproduction of the tympanum on the Romanesque-Gothic portico of Colexio de San Xeróme in Santiago, which is customarily dated between 1490 and 1500, having been moved in the 17th century from the college’s original location in the old Hospice de Acibechería, near the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario on Praza da Azibechería (Inmaculada), to its new building on Praza do Obradoiro.

Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome – tympanum (the Blessed Virgin with the Baby Jesus in center, flanked by Santa Margarita and Santa Catarina) and archivolt (St. Ann holding the Virgin holding the Child in center, surrounded by figures of saints) (De Jose Luis Cernadas Iglesias from Coruña, España - 1773-Colexio San Xerome (Compostela)Uploaded by Igrexas, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12361833).

(See more on Colexio de Xeróme and its portico later in this day’s blog post.)

2:36 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – view from entrance back down long corridor.

2:55 PM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martiño Pinario – postcard, with wide-angle photo of front of the monastery with garden, for sale (€1.50) at reception desk.

After lunch, we set out to see the Cathedral Museum, but by that time they had no more guided tours of the roofs with combined visit to the museum in Palacio de Gelmírez (Pazo de Xelmírez in Galego, the 12th-century archbishop’s palace located on the north side of the Cathedral on the Plaza del Obradoiro). The price for the tour would have been €10 each (with pilgrim discount).

2:58 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Acibecharía on north side and west towers, from entrance of Hospedería San Martiño Pinario, with MT at bottom right near back side of Pazo de Xelmírez.

2:58 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Acibecharía on Praza da Acibecharía.

The Fachada da Acibecharía, (Spanish: Fachada de Azabachería) or North Façade, of the Cathedral is on the Praza da Acibecharía (or Praza da Inmaculada). The original Romanesque portal, the Puerta del Paraiso (Portal of Paradise) was built in 1122, at the end of the French, Primitive, Northern, and English Camino routes, which enter the old town via the Puerta del Camino. The 12th-century Codex Calixtinus described it as the Door of Paradise, not only because of its beauty but also because it represented the story of Adam and Eve. That portal was demolished after suffering a fire in 1758; some sculptural pieces that were saved were placed on the Fachade das Praterías. The new façade was designed in Baroque style but was finished in Neoclassical style in 1769, although it retained some traces of the Baroque. At the top of the façade is an 18th-century statue of St. James, with two kings in prayer at his feet. In the center is the statue of Faith.

The Praza da Acibecharía, also known as Praza de Inmaculada, is a small square located on the north side of the Cathedral. It is bordered by the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario, the Pazo de Xelmírez, the arched passageway that leads to the Praza do Obradoiro, and the Cathedral’s Acibecharía façade, whose name refers to the traditional presence of jet-stone (azabache in Spanish) workshops. From the 13th century, Santiago had a monopoly on the manufacture of pieces made of jet.

From the Praza da Acibecharía, we passed through the arched passageway, Arco de Xelmiírez, that led to the Praza do Obradoiro on the west side of the Cathedral.

Santiago: narrow passage between north side of Cathedral and southeast end of Pazo de Xelmírez, leading from Praza da Acibechreía to Arco de Xelmírez,, in turn leading down steps to Praza do Obradoiro (By Gerardo nuñez, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54353762).

The Arco de Xelmírez (Arch of Xelmírez) is also known as Arco del Palacio Arzobispal (Arch of the Archbishop’s Palace) or Arco de Palacio de Gelmírez (Arch of the Palace of Gelmírez). Sandwiched between the Cathedral and the attached 12th-century Pazo de Xelmírez, it connects the Praza de Acibechería with the Praza do Obradoiro. Under this beautiful arch, it is typical to hear music from individual performers or groups that occupy this space with time constraints, more or less an hour and a half long.

Santiago: Arco de Xelmírez, entrance from Praza da Acibechreía, leading down steps to Praza do Obradoiro (By santiago lopez-pastor from España - Santiago de Compostela, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67178911).

Santiago: Arco de Xelmírez, emerging from steps down onto Praza do Obradoiro (By Lancastermerrin88 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8100733).

Santiago: Arco de Xelmírez, entrance from east side of Praza do Obradioro, between west façade of Cathedral (right) and Pazo de Xelmírez (left of arch), with Hostal dos Reyes Católicos at far left (By Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26461293).

On the west side of that square, opposite the Cathedral, is the Pazo de Raxoi.

3:20 PM – Santiago: Pazo de Raxoi on Praza do Obradoiro.

The Pazo de Raxoi (Palace of Raxoi, Spanish Palacio de Rajoy) is an impressive Neoclassical building. Its construction was ordered by the archbishop of Santiago, Bartolomé Rajoy Losada, in 1766 with the purpose of serving as a seminary for confessors, who administered penance to pilgrims, and a residence for the children of the Cathedral choir. However, the plot of land on which it would be built was previously occupied by prisons, and its ownership was disputed between the bishopric and the civil authorities of the city, who wanted it to be the City Hall. Since its founding, therefore, it has housed prisons (the municipal jail is still of the lower part of the back side), the town hall, and a seminary for confessors (well into the 20th century, it continued to serve as a residence for cathedral canons). Since the democratic transition, it has also been the seat of the government of Galicia.

According to the inscription of the frieze of the palace, the construction work extended from 1766 to 1772. The façade is almost 90 m long. In the lower body, are 20 rounded arches on the sides and 5 archways with rectangular lintels in the center. On the logia above the lintels there are two upper bodies with large Ionic columns. The full length of each of the two upper bodies includes 25 windows, one above each of the archways. The façade is crowned by an attic with balustrades. On the sides are two curved pediments, and in the middle is a triangular pediment supported by the colonnade. While the lateral pediments display the Raxoi coat of arms, the middle pediment has a tympanum that depicts in marble relief the Battle of Clavijo, at which, according to legend, the Apostle Santiago appeared in the aid of the Christians. On the crest of that pediment is an equestrian statue of Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moorslayer).

3:20 PM – Santiago: Pazo de Raxoi – statue of Santiago Matamoros atop central pediment, unfortunately backlit (telephoto 312 mm).

Wednesday, ‎September ‎24, ‎2014, 10:30 AM – Santiago: Pazo de Raxoi – statue of Santiago Matamoros atop central pediment, in better sunlight (telephoto 220 mm).

Also located on the Praza do Obradoiro, on its north side, was the Hostal dos Reis Católicos.

3:21 PM – Santiago: Parador entrance (telephoto 93 mm).

In the Praza do Obradoiro, on the north side of the square, is also the 15th century Hostal dos Reis Católicos (Hostal of the Catholic Monarchs, Spanish Hostal de los Reyes Católicos), which is regarded as one of the oldest hotels not only in Spain but the whole world. The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabel had visited Santiago in 1486 and had seen the need for better healthcare for residents and pilgrims. They founded a pilgrim hospital in 1492 and commissioned the construction of the current building in 1501; its construction began in the same year and took over 10 years. It was erected in harmony with the late Gothic style and the beginning of the Renaissance.

It is now the Parador de Santiago, a 5-star hotel. It is widely considered the oldest continuously operating hotel in the world (opened in 1509) and has also been called the “most beautiful hotel in Europe.”

5:03 PM – Santiago: Parador entrance.

The Plateresque façade dates from the 16th century. The altarpiece-like façade features Plateresque ornamentation depicting, from bottom to top, the figures of Adam, St. Catherine, and St. John the Baptist on the left and those of Eve, St. Lucy, and Mary Magdalene on the right. On the spandrels above the arch are circular medallions with the busts of Isabel and Ferdinand. The figures of the 12 apostles are aligned along the frieze of the doorway, structured like a Roman triumphal arch. At the top, to the left of the central window, are statues of St. Peter, Santiago, and Christ (left to right); to the right of the window are the Virgin with Child, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Paul (left to right). Two large shields bearing the coat of arms of Castile border the façade, a symbol of the monarchy’s power standing up against the church and the archbishop’s palace. In front of the façade is a strong chain from the 16th century, supported by meticulously carved pillars delimiting the hospital’s property.

5:04 PM – Santiago: Parador entrance – upper left side with statues of St. Peter, Santiago, and Christ (left to right) to left of window. and John the Baptist to left of 12 apostles (telephoto 105 mm).

5:03 PM (Cropped) – Santiago: Parador entrance – upper right side with statues of the Virgin with Child, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Paul (left to right) to right of window and Mary Madgalene to right of 12 apostles.

5:06 PM – Santiago: Parador entrance – coat of arms to left of door (mild telephoto 56 mm).

5:06 PM Cropped) – Santiago: Parador entrance – coat of arms to left of door (mild telephoto 34 mm).

Then MT wanted to take the Tourist Train (€6 each), which made a whirlwind tour of the old town, starting from the Praza do Obradoiro, with few stops in about an hour. The young girl guide narrated in Spanish and English (although Don couldn’t hear either over the rumble of the moving train). Don tried to take photos as the whirlwind tour went quickly past sites.

From the Praza do Obrdoiro, the train first headed north. One of the first places it passed was the Convento de San Francisco.

3:35 PM – Santiago: Tourist Train at Monument to St. Francis in front of Convento de San Francisco.

The Convento de San Francisco de Valdediós (San Francisco de Val de Deus in Gallego) is rumored to have been founded by St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is said to have made a pilgrimage to Santiago in 1214, where he received a vision of the Apostle St. James asking him to build a monastery. Looking for the right spot to build the monastery, St. Francis came across a piece of land in an area known as Val de Dios (Valley of God), which belonged to the existing Benedictine monastery of San Martiño Pinario.

According to legend, St. Francis, when he had arrived in Santiago, was welcomed by the Compostelan family of a coalman named Cotolay (or Cotolai). He entrusted Cotolay to build the monastery (convento) and church of San Francisco, and when the man replied that he had no resources, he showed him a treasure near the hermitage of San Paio do Monte (San Payo del Monte) that would allow his to carry out the work.

In the porch is the Monument to St. Francis, conceived as a giant stone cross.

3:42 PM – Santiago: Tourist Train at sign for “USC [University of Santiago de Compostela] Campus de Excelencia Internacional – Campus Vida, with unidentified church in background.

Campus Vida [Campus of Life], of the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela [University of Santiago de Compostela, USC], is a research organization dedicated to achieving excellence in talent management, internationalization, and innovation in Life Sciences. USC’s Campus Vida has been rated as a  Campus de Excelencia Internacional (Campus of International Excellence] (ICE). ICE is a  program is a measure of the government of Spain to improve the quality of the university system through the aggregation, specialization, differentiation, and internationalization of its best universities. The main office of the Campus Vida of USC is located on Avenida do Doutor Ángel Echeverri, s/n [no number], although various parts of the university are scattered around the city.

The Tourist Train eventually took us to an overlook at Parque da Alameda (Alameda Park) to the west of the old town, from which we could see the west façade and towers of the Cathedral.

3:48 PM – Santiago: view through trees of Parque da Alameda toward Cathedral.

3:48 PM – Santiago: better view through trees of Parque da Alameda toward Cathedral.

3:48 PM – Santiago: yet better view from Parque da Alameda of Cathedral and other parts of old town.

3:48 PM – Santiago: view from Parque da Alameda of Cathedral (left to right) west façade and west towers (Torre da Carraca on left, Torre das Campás on right), the cathedral’s cloister to the right of the façade, and behind it the Clock Tower (Torre da Trinidade or Berenguela), Torre de la Vela, and the shorter Treasure Tower (Torre del Tesoro); in foreground, back side of Pazo de Raxoi (including cupola) opposite the Cathedral on Praza do Obradoiro (telephoto 105 mm).

From the Parque da Alameda, the Tourist Train continued its circular route around the south side of the old town, passing the Convento e Igrexa das Madres Mercedarias.

3:53 PM – Santiago: Convento e Igrexa das Madres Mercedarias tower and part of façade and roof of Tourist Train.

Convento e Igrexa das Madres Mercedarias tower and façade (Por © Jose Mario Pires, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27556631).

The Convento e Igrexa das Madres Mercedarias (Convent and Church of the Mercedarian Mothers) is located outside the historical quarter, on the Rúa da Fonte de Santo Antonio (its address is actually Tránsito da Mercé 1), facing the Porta de Mazarelos, which is the only remaining gate of the old city wall. The convent was founded in 1671, and construction of the church began in 1673 or 1674 in Baroque-neoclassical style. However, its current appearance is due to work carried out in the 18th century, dated 1674. The most outstanding feature of its neoclassical façade, bordered by Corinthian pillars, is a relief of the Annunciation in the Galician Baroque style. Above those sculptures is a large blind arch that marks the outside of the barrel vault of the nave. To the sides of that relief are coats of arms of the archbishopric of Santiago. The bell tower is from the 18th century.

3:54 PM – Santiago: part of old city wall.

Continuing around to the northeast of the old town, the Tourist Train passed the Convento e Igrexa de Santo Domingo de Bonaval.

4:00 PM – Santiago: Convento e Igrexa de Santo Domingo de Bonaval through window, as train went around corner.

Santiago: Convento de Santo Domingo de Bonaval – main façade and cloister (By ANTONIO FUMERO - originally posted to Flickr as Casa de Fuentemayor, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7099056).

The Convento e Igrexa de Santo Domingo de Bonaval (Convent and Church of St. Dominic of Bonaval) is situated in the Parque de San Domingos de Bonaval in the neighborhood of Bonaval in Santiago, outside the walls of the medieval city but near a place known as Porta do Camiño (Gateway of the Camino, Spanish Puerta del Camino), one of the historic gates to the city of Santiago. The foundation of the convent is mistakenly attributed to Santo Domingo de Guzman, in an imagined pilgrimage to Santiago in 1219. However, the oldest document mentioning the convent dates back to 1228, when it was originally called Santa Maria; the title of Santo Domingo appears in the 15th century, under the patronage of the house of Altamira. Most of the preserved buildings were built in the Baroque style in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. With the exclaustration of religious orders, the convent passed to the municipality of Santiago in 1836. It served as a hospice from 1841 until 1945 and then remained unoccupied until allocated to the Municipal Museum in 1963. It was ceded in 1977 by the municipality of Santiago to the association that created the Museo do Pobo Galego (Museum of the Galician People). It was declared a National Monument in 1912.

Santiago: Convento de Santo Domingo de Bonaval – entrance to Museo do Pobo Galego (By The original uploader was Lansbricae at Galician Wikipedia. - Transferred from gl.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2236447).

Santiago: Convento de Santo Domingo de Bonaval – entrance to Museo do Pobo Galego (left); main façade and bell tower (center); and part of cloister (right) (By santiago lopez-pastor from España - Santiago de Compostela, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67178739).

The main façade (and entrance) of the convent displays the coats of arms of Antonio de Monroy (archbishop of Santiago when reconstruction of the convent started in 1695), flanking the stone image of Santo Domingo, which is a niche with a semicircular pediment. The façade is topped by the coat of arms of the Counts of Altamira, patrons of the convent, with a royal crown.

The cloister, whose construction began in 1621, stands on the site of the old medieval cloister of the convent. Its entrance is also flanked by Altamira coats of arms.

The tower, which has also been attributed to the time of Monroy, is now believed to be of a later date, possibly the work of the same architect as the Clock Tower of the Cathedral, at the beginning of the 18th century.

The church, built in the 14th century in Gothic and Renaissance style with Romanesque influence, is not currently open to worship. It is accessed through the convent. A side chapel houses the Pantheon of Illustrious Galicians (including the writer Rosalia de Castro).

As the Tourist Train continued around to the northeast side of the old town, we came to the Convento del Carmen de Arriba.

4:02 PM – Santiago: Convento del Carmen de Arriba and a crucifix.

Construction of the Convento do Carme de Arriba (Convent of Carmen of the Top), also known as Convento do Carmo de Cima (Convent of Carmen of the Summit), was completed in 1758 in austere Baroque style (some sources say Neoclassical?). It was occupied by the Discalced Carmelite sisters, according to whose pious spirit the building is compact, sober, and akin to the popular religiosity. It was the first convent of that order in Galicia. The façade, in the order’s own style (“Carmelite”), conforms to the same construction pattern as that of the first convent of the order, San José de Ávila, founder in Ávila in the 16th century. In the top center of the façade of gray ashlar of granite masonry is a niche with a polychrome image of the Virgin of Carmen (Our Lady of Carmen), patron saint of the Carmelites and of sailors. (The convent is located to the east of the old town center, at Rúa de Santa Clara 8, near the Convent of Santa Clara.).

Then the Tourist Train continued a long distance to the east-northeast, all the way to the Praza da Paz.

4:03 PM – Santiago: Praza da Paz with statue of a pilgrim.

The Praza da Paz (Square of Peace) is in a traffic circle, far east of the old town center, at the entrance to the city by the highway to A Coruña. In the center of the circle is a statue of a pilgrim; some sources say it is Santiago Peregrino (St. James as a pilgrim).

Wednesday, ‎September ‎24, ‎2014, 4:03 PM – Santiago: Praza da Paz with statue of a pilgrim (telephoto 133 mm).

After the train tour, we walked down to the Igrexa de San Francisco. On the way, we saw a taxi stand and asked about the fare to the airport. The driver said €21 was standard (later, the hotel clerk confirmed this).

4:20 PM – Santiago: Monument of St. Francis, in front of Convento de San Francisco.

The Monumento a San Francisco (Monument to St. Francis) in front of the Convento de San Francisco was created in 1926.

MT 4:23 PM – Santiago: top of Monument of St. Francis, in front of Convento de San Francisco (mild telephoto 40 mm).

4:21 PM – Santiago: Convento de San Francisco – façade with bell towers; signs at lower left are for “Convento San Francisco” and the “Museo da Terra Santa” (Museum of the Holy Land), housed in one of the convent’s cloisters.

Little remains of the original 13th-century convent and church of San Francisco. The original convent collapsed in the early 18th century. All that remains of the original building are five Gothic arches in the cloister and the tomb of Cotolay. The present Baroque church was built between 1742 and 1749; later on, a neoclassical alteration modified the façade. In the porch is the Monument to St. Francis, conceived as a giant stone cross.

The façade, designed in Baroque style in the 18th century, is imposing in its size, consisting of three vertical sections. Not yet completed in 1770, the central section shows two different concepts of decoration. The lower part is Baroque, with four Doric columns flanking an image of San Francisco. The upper part changes drastically above the height of the entablature (platform over the Doric columns) to Neoclassical principles. It is dominated by a huge window flanked by Ionic columns, on which rests a triangular pediment. The side sections support the bell towers.

4:21 PM – Santiago: Convento de San Francisco – lower façade with statue of San Francisco in niche and entrance door (down steps).

Since no building is Santiago was allowed to exceed the Cathedral in height, the archbishop’s solution was to excavate the ground and build from a lower level, placing the door of the church below ground level.

4:21 PM – Santiago: Convento de San Francisco – statue of San Francisco in niche of lower façade (telephoto 105 mm).

The interior of the church is also sober, although monumental. It is in the form of a Latin cross with three naves. The central nave has five sections [of the vaulted ceiling], and the crossing is covered by a half-orange dome that is octagonal on the outside.

4:22 PM – Santiago: Convento de San Francisco – view from read of nave to main altar in apse.

4:23 PM – Santiago: Convento de San Francisco – statue of “Santiago Apóstol” (although the staff and gourd seem more like Santiago Peregrino) on left side of nave.

4:23 PM – Santiago: Convento de San Francisco – sign for statue of “Santiago Apóstol” [St. James the Apostle] with text in Spanish, which translates:

“Son of Zebedee (Mk. 1:19) and Salomé (Mt. 27:56), one of the women who followed Jesus to the foot of the cross (Mk. 15:40). He was the brother of John ‘the Evangelist’ (Mk. 1:19-20; 3:17). Both were originally from Bethdsaida (Jn. 1:44) but lived in Capernaum, dedicating themselves, together with their father, to fishing. They were called ‘Boanerges,’ meaning ‘Sons of Thunder.’

“SANTIAGO followed the call of Jesus (Mk. 1:16-20) and was part of ‘the Twelve.’ He was one of the Lord’s intimates (Mk. 5:37; Lk. 8:51; Mt. 17:1-2; Mk. 9:1-2; Lk. 9:28-29; Mt. 26:37; Mk. 14:33)

“SANTIAGO was the first of the Apostles to drink the chalice of martyrdom (Acts 12:2-3). Tradition would see in him the first evangelist of the western ‘FINIS TERRAE’ [End of the Earth].

“His liturgical feast day is celebrated on July 25th. Every time this day falls on Sunday, the Grand Jubilee (‘Compostelan Holy Year’) takes place.”

4:25 PM – Santiago: Convento de San Francisco – main altar.

The main altar consists of three bodies. In the lower one, statues of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, founder of the Order of the Preachers (Dominicans), and San Boaventura [St. Bonaventure], the first cardinal of the Franciscan Order, accompany an image of the Virgin Mary. In the second, a carving of San Francisco is flanked by a coat of arms of San Francisco and another with the Cross of the Holy Land and the Five Wounds of the saint. In the upper body, there is another carving of Santa Clara [St. Claire] and in the center an open book.

After that, MT stayed at Hospedería San Martiño Pinario to use the WiFi, and Don took a tour outside.

The Monasterio de San Martiño Pinario is considered the second largest religious building in Spain. Aside from the Hospedería, the former Benedictine monastery now houses the Seminario Mayor Compostelano (Major Seminary of Compostela). This monumental building from its origins was linked to the veneration of the Apostle Santiago, from the time of Bishop Sisnando I (880-920). The monastery was founded by Benedictine monks who had settled in a place called Pignario after the discovery of the Apostle’s remains. The name Pignario comes from the pines that were in this place when the monks built their first chapel. The monastery originated in a chapel dedicated to Santa Maria, called the Corticela, which was integrated into the Cathedral (accessible by the Azabacheria door) in the late 9th century, when King Afonso III and Bishop Sisnando began construction of the Cathedral. Thus, around the year 899, this monastery was built where the Benedictine monks moved from the old chapel. One of the fundamental tasks of the Benedictine community that resided in San Martiño Pinario was the custody of the tomb of the Apostle. The first documentary evidence if the monastery goes back to the beginning of the 10th century (912 and 913). The progressive growth of the monastic community in the 11th century forced them to consider a larger edifice that would shelter them. The original monastery was later replaced by another, whose church was consecrated in 1102. Construction of the new church, in Romanesque style, began in 1050 and was finished in 1112. Throughout the Middle Ages, the monastery grew so that, by the end of the 15th century, it became the richest and most powerful in Galicia. Both the church and the rest of the buildings of the monastery itself survived until the 16th century, when reconstruction led to the present architectural complex, considered one of the greatest historical-artistic buildings in Spain. Little remains of the original medieval buildings. Construction of the current church began in 1587 and was essentially completed in 1652, but  not finalized until 1747.

In the low Middle Ages, this monastery did not escape the decadence of Galician monastic life, a situation aggravated in the 15th century, when monarchs began to appoint abbots. This lasted until the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella) decreed the reform of regular orders in 1493. In 1498, San Martiño Pinario was definitively linked to the Congregation of San Benito de Valladolid, beginning a period of recovery that reached its apogee in the 17th and 18th centuries. Those years would be of great splendor for the monastery. However, after this boom came a great fall. A series of confiscations. Especially that of Mendrizabel in 1835, meant the exclaustration of the Benedictine monks, which meant a progressive deterioration of the facilities.

In 1868, the Concillar Seminary of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela, previously located in the College of San Clemente, was moved into the building of the monastery. Part of the building was used as a residence hall, until it was closed for structural reforms at the end of the academic year 2007-08. At present, besides being the seat of the Seminario Mayor (Major Seminary) of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela, and therefore a house of formation for the future Cistercian clergy, it is home to other institutions, including the Theological Institute and School of Social Work of the University of Santiago, and the Archdiocesan Library.

5:01 PM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martiño Pinario – façade of Seminario Mayor (mild telephoto 56 mm).

The main façade of the monastery is oriented to the south, facing the Cathedral’s Fachada da Azabachería, with gardens and the Praza da Inmaculada (or Azabachería) in front of it. The lower part of the façade is the work of Fray Gabriel de Casas, one of the most classicist and sober architects of the Spanish Baroque. So its exterior is extremely contained and classicist. The monumental doorway is reached by a staircase. The entrance door is topped with a lintel, and there are two pairs of huge Tuscan (Doric) columns on its sides. The columns support an entablature with pinnacles. Above the lintel is a niche with a statue of San Benito (St. Benedict), since this was a monastery of the Benedictine order. Over the niche is a balcony. The part above the entablature was added in 1738, the work of Fernando de Casas y Novoa, who was more ornate in his conception of Baroque architecture, although it was not too much out of step with that of Fray Gabriel de Casas. In this upper part are a large coat of arms of Spain and, at the very top, a statue of St. Martin of Tours with a classic representation: on horseback and dividing his cloak to clothe a beggar.

5:01 PM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martiño Pinario – Spanish coat of arms and statue of St. Martin of Tours in top section of façade of Seminario Mayor (telephoto 156 mm).

5:01 PM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martiño Pinario – Spanish coat of arms and statue of St. Martin of Tours in top section of façade of Seminario Mayor (telephoto 343 mm).

Thursday, ‎September ‎25, ‎2014, 9:49 AM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martiño Pinario – Spanish coat of arms and statue of St. Martin of Tours in top section of façade of Seminario Mayor, in better sunlight (telephoto 360 mm).

Then Don went over to the Praza do Obradoiro, first stopping to take some photos of the entrance to the Parador Hostal dos Reis Católicos on the north side of the square (these more detailed photos are added to the ones he took earlier this afternoon).

Then Don went around to the northwest corner of the square and down some steps to the Igrexa de San Fructuoso.

5:04 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Fructuoso – façade, viewed from the terrace of the Parador (mild telephoto 44 mm).

The Igrexa de San Fructuoso (Church of St. Fructuoso) is located on Rúa da Trinidade, below the Pazo de Raxoi. It is also known as Igrexa de Las Angustias de Abajo (Church of the Sorrows of Down Below) or La Real Angustia (the Royal Sorrow). There is documentary evidence that in 1510 there was a small chapel in this place that was called Capela de la Vera Cruz (Chapel of the True Cross), located in the pilgrim cemetery of the Hostal dos Reis Católicos. Toward the middle of the 17th century, an image of the Virgin de las Angustias (Virgin of Sorrows) was placed in this chapel, and by the middle of the 18th century this statue had become the object of increased devotion. This motivated the decision to build a new church, promoted by the Royal Hospital and paid for with the alms of the devotees.

This church was designed in the 18th century and built between 1754 and 1765, although the altar and some minor work continued until 1771. Its style is the typical Compostelan Baroque of the time, following the churrigueresque* model. It is dedicated to San Fructuoso, bishop of Tarragona, a victim of the persecution carried out by the emperors Valeriano and Galieno, for which he died a martyr in the second half of the third century.

The slightly curved façade is designed to be contemplated from above, either from the Praza do Obradoiro or the terrace of the Hostal dos Reis Católicos. Because of this, most of the ornamentation is in the upper part. The central section of the façade, broader and higher, is the center of the decoration. The door is surrounded by substantial molding with wings, and a broad volute projects from the lower part. Above that, in a niche, is an image of Our Lady of “Las Angustias” (Our Lady of Sorrows) also knows as “la Piedad (the Pieta). It is flanked by two columns supporting the entablature, with plaques, and an interrupted cornice, with a curved, split pediment. Above that is a rectangular window. Above the window is a large coat of arms of Spain, topped by a crown. On the attic floor, there is a balustrade with pedestals supporting statues of the four cardinal virtues: Prudence, Justice, Strength, and Temperance. According to popular tradition, they are said to represent, with tongue in cheek, the four jacks in the Spanish deck of cards. In fact, most of the Compostelan people call it this church “Iglesia de las Cuatro Sotas” (Church of the Four Jacks). A belfry adorned with volutes** and pinnacles crowns the building.
*Churruigueresque style is a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornamentation that emerged in Spain in the late 17th century and was used up to about 1750. It is named after the architect and sculptor José Benito de Chrurriguera (1665-1725). It is marked by extreme, expressive, and florid decorative detailing, normally found above the entranced on the main façade of a building. In addition to a plethora of compressed ornament, surfaces bristle with such devices as broken pediments, undulating cornices, reversed volutes, balustrades, stucco shells, and garlands.

**A volute is a spiral scroll forming one of the chief features of Ionic and Corinthian capitals.

5:04 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Fructuoso – top of façade, with Spanish coat of arms and statues of four virtues on balustrade on either side of belfry, viewed from the terrace of the Parador (telephoto 93 mm).

Santiago: Igrexa de San Fructuoso – attic and belfry (Own work by Miguel Hermoso Cuesta at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iglesia_de_San_Fructuoso_Santiago_05.jpg).

5:05 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Fructuoso – façade and better view of cupola over dome, viewed from west end of the terrace of the Parador, with gardens beyond.

From there, Don turned his attention back to the Cathedral on the east side of the Praza do Obradoiro.

5:05 PM – Santiago: view from west end of Parador terrace of (left to right) the Parador façade, the Pazo de Xelmírez (archbishop’s palace), the west façade of the Cathedral, and (in right foreground) a corner of the Pazo de Raxoi.

5:07 PM – Santiago: west façade of Cathedral, with smaller Torre de la Vela (at far right).

5:07 PM – Santiago: Cathedral - west façade, with scaffolding (mild telephoto 44 mm).

5:08 PM – Santiago: Cathedral - upper part of west façade of Cathedral, with statues of Santiago and his two disciples (telephoto 93 mm).

5:08 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – closer view of upper part of west façade of Cathedral, with statues of Santiago (at top) and his two disciples, all dressed as pilgrims; between the disciples is a relief of the reliquary of the tomb of Santiago (telephoto 156 mm).

Then Don turned his attention to the Colexio de San Xerome on the south side of Praza do Obradoiro, with the Cathedral’s Torre de la Vela (at right) and the tower of Colexio de Fonseca peeking over the roof.

5:09 PM – Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome on Praza do Obradoiro.

The Colexio de San Xerome (College of St. Jerome, Spanish: Colegio de San Jerónimo) was founded in 1501 (or 1521 in some sources). This was originally founded by Alonso III de Fonseca, Archbishop of Santiago, who intended it to be devoted to poor college students and artists. It was also called the Colexio de Artistas (College of Artists) or Estudio Vello (Old Study). At that time, it was located in the former Hospicio de la Azabachería (Hospice of the Azabachería), near the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario, and was dependent on the Colexio de Fonseca. (The old Hospice had lost its function as the city’s major hospital for pilgrims after the founding of the new Hospital dos Reis Católicos.) The college was originally named for Santiago the Greater, but already in 1555 it changed to St. Jerome. In 1652, when the monks of San Martiño Pinario bought the building in order to extend the monastery, it was decided to move the college from that location. For that, a new building was built on the Praza do Obradoiro, starting in 1656. Until 1840, it maintained its function as a residence hall, but then lost its status as a Colexio Major (major college). During a good part of the 20th century, it was the seat of the Escuela Normal de Magisterio (Normal Teacher Training School). Since the 1980s, it has also been the office of the Rector (Vice-Chancellor) of the University of Santiago.

5:10 PM – Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome – portico of main façade.

The main facade is a building of pure lines and only two stories in height, in which was inserted the medieval Romanesque-Gothic portico, from the old Hospice, customarily dated between 1490 and 1500. This archaeological element was misinterpreted in past years, taken for a long persistence of constructive habits of Galician master architects and proof of the roots of Romanesque art in Galicia. It is stylistically and structurally still very linked to the Gothic. In the jambs are six sculptures of apostles and founding saints of the mendicant orders: St. James the Greater, his brother St. John the Evangelist, and St. Francis of Assisi on the left jamb and St. Peter, St. Paul, and Santo Domingo de Guzmán (or some sources say St. Maurus) on the right.

Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome – tympanum (the Blessed Virgin with the Baby Jesus in center, flanked by Santa Margarita and Santa Catarina) and archivolt (St. Ann holding the Virgin holding the Child in center, surrounded by figures of saints) (De Jose Luis Cernadas Iglesias from Coruña, España - 1773-Colexio San Xerome (Compostela)Uploaded by Igrexas, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12361833).

The tympanum is dominated by the Blessed Virgin (standing on a half-moon) and Child; at their sides are St. Catherine at right and St. Margaret at left (a few sources identify these flanking figures as St. Catherine and the Archangel St. Michael, protective saints against death and the dying, invocations linked to the origin of the building as a hospital). On the archivolt of the flared arch over the door are eleven figures, with particular importance of the female figures, highlighted in the center by the Virgin Mary (actually a triple representing St. Anna, the Virgin, and the Child) and at her sides María Cleofás and María Salomé (figures very seldom present in religious iconography but honored in the city of Santiago as the mothers, respectively, of St. James the Lesser and St. James the Greater). The other ten sculptures on the archivolt represent saints and holy fathers of the Church, figures linked to knowledge and writing, as well as Mary Magdalene (undoubtedly a nod to the old pilgrim hospital, because the cult of Magdalene was particularly linked to hospitality on the Camino de Santiago). Above the arch is the coat of arms of the founder, Archbishop Fonseca, also preserved from the old building of the Azabachería.

Santiago: Colexio de Xerome – statues of left side of door (By santiago lopez-pastor from España - Santiago de Compostela, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67178776).

5:10 PM – Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome - statue of Santiago on left side of door (telephoto 72 mm).

Santiago: Colexio de Xerome – statues on right side of door (By José Luis Filpo Cabana - Own work., CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19330972).

Around the corner from the Colexio de Xerome, on Rúa do Franco, is the Colexio de Fonseca.

Santiago: Colexio de Xerome – façade with tower of Colexio de Fonseca behind it at left (By Lancastermerrin88 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8098778).

5:11 PM – Santiago: side of Colexio de San Xerome on Rúa do Franco, with tower of Colexio de Fonseca down the street.

The Colexio de Fonseca (College of Fonseca), also known as Pazo de Fonseca (Palace of Fonseca), is adjacent to the Colexio de San Xerome. Its original name was Colexio de Santiago Alfeo. Archbishop Alonso III de Fonseca founded it in the Fonseca family house where he was born, in order to reunite the different studies that were dispersed in several buildings of the city, and thus is considered as the origin of the University of Santiago. At present it is used as the Biblioteca Xeral de Universidade (General Library of the University).

The construction of the building continued between 1522 and 1544; the façade is later, finished in 1688.

Santiago: Colexio de Fonseca – façade (By LIMIARculturalocal - Colexio de FonsecaUploaded by stegop, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27529882).

The highlight of the building is the Renaissance-style façade, with the Fonseca coat of arms and sculptures of the Doctors of the Church.

Don continued down Rúa do Franco, then turned left on Rúa de Fonseca to the South Façade and Clock Tower of the Cathedral on Praza das Praterías.

5:12 PM – Santiago: Praza das Praterías with Fonte dos Cabalos in foreground; behind that are the Fachada das Praterías and the Torre do Reloxo.

See blog post for September 25 for notes on the Praza das Praterías and the Torre do Reloxo (Clock Tower), also known as Torre da Trinidade or Berenguela, on the Praza das Praterías.

5:12 PM – Santiago: Praza das Praterías with Fonte dos Cabalos in foreground; behind that are the Fachada das Praterías and the Torre do Reloxo.

In the center of that square, in front of the south entrance of the Cathedral, is the Fonte dos Cabalos (Fountain of the Horses, Spanish: Fuente de los Caballos), also known as Fonte des Praterías or Fonte dos Cuatro Cabalos or dos Hipocampos. It is a work from 1825 in the Compostelan Baroque style. It is formed by four horses with water pouring from their mouths, on top of which stands a pedestal topped by a female figure with her arm raised supporting the star of Compostela. Its meaning has elicited different interpretations over the years, but it is thought to be an allegory of the city.

5:13 PM – Santiago: Praza das Praterías - Fonte dos Cabalos with Casa do Cabido in background.

On the side of the square opposite the Cathedral is the Casa do Cabido (Chapter House, Spanish: Casa del Cabildo) also known as Casa da Estrela (House of the Star). In the space it occupies there were formerly three primitive houses on that side of the square, which made it difficult for wagons to turn when coming from the south on Rúa do Vilar. For this reason, the city council took control of two of the houses, which would be demolished with the aim of embellishing the square by closing it off in an almost theater-like way with what is actually no more than a 3-meter-deep façade. This purely ornamental Baroque construction, known as Casa do Cabido, dates from 1758. The Cabido (chapter of the Cathedral) lost ownership of it in the mid-19th century. After that, it passed through several hands until it was acquired in 2008 by the Santiago Consortium in order to rehabilitate it. It is considered one of the most interesting and important Baroque-style facades of Galician architecture. Although the minimal depth makes the structure unsuited for any functional housing, it is now used as an exhibition hall.

5:16 PM – Santiago: Praza das Praterías with Fonte dos Cabalos in foreground, and Casa do Cabido on other side of square (mild telephoto 49 mm).

5:16 PM – Santiago: Praza das Praterías with Fonte dos Cabalos in foreground, and Casa do Cabido on other side of square (telephoto 105 mm).

On the opposite (north) side of the Praza das Praterías was the Cathedral’s southern façade, Fachada das Praterías.

5:13 PM – Santiago: Cathedral - Fachada das Praterías at top of steps.

Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada das Praterías  (De Amadalvarez - Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11337883).

The Cathedral’s Fachada das Praterías (Façade of the Silversmiths) is the southern façade (Fachada Sur) of the transept. It is the only Romanesque facade that is preserved in the cathedral. It was built between 1103 an 1117, and elements from other parts of the cathedral were added in subsequent years. This accounts for its decoration with statues and reliefs of different sizes, scales, and colors of stone, sometimes not fitting neatly together. It has two entrance doors with archivolts and historical tympanums. The archivolts are attached over eleven columns; three are white marble (middle and corners), and the rest are of granite. In the center are the figures of twelve prophets, and the Apostles are on the sides. Above the tympanums is a large frieze separated from the upper body by an overhang supported by grotesque corbels. In the central frieze is Christ, with various characters and scenes. On the right, six figures belonging to the choir of the Cathedral sculptor and architect Master Mateo (created in 1200 and torn down in 1603-04) were placed in 1884. The original arrangement of the iconographic elements was disturbed, since in the 18th-century numerous images were introduced from the dismantled Fachada Francigena (French Façade), also known as Fachada do Paraiso (Façade of Paradise) on the Cathedral’s north side. On the top floor of the façade are two windows decorated with Romanesque archivolts.

Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada das Praterías, showing tympanums over two doors, the frieze, and windows at top of façade (By Laszlo Daroczy from Miskolc, Hungary - DSC_0282, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43729081).

5:16 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías - double doors with central column.

Two lions rest on the central column. Above them stands a chrismon (also called Chi-Rho, the symbol of Christ formed by superimposing the first two capital letters—chi and rho [XP]—of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ [Christos]) in such a way that the vertical stroke of the rho intersects the center of the chi) and, above that, an unknown figure. Above those, a central medallion shows the Eternal Father (or Transfiguration) with open hands. At the level of that medallion, over the corners of the archivolts, there are four angels with trumpets heralding the Last Judgment.

5:16 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – above central column are two lions, the Chi-Rho symbol, an unknown figure, and a medallion with God the Father, flanked by two of the angels with trumpets; above that is the central part of the frieze (mild telephoto 63 mm).

5:14 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías - left side of frieze, Christ in center of frieze, and tympanum of left door (mild telephoto 56 mm).

5:14 PM (Cropped) – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – above central column are two lions, the Chi-Rho symbol, an unknown figure, and a medallion with God the Father, flanked by two of the angels with trumpets (mild telephoto 56 mm).

In the top center of the frieze appears Christ with his right hand raised in blessing, accompanied by the Apostle James (Santiago Apóstol) and six more figures. Also, there appear St. Andrew, the Virgin and Child, and four apostles and an angel. To the left of Santiago is St. John, a scene of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, and other figures, including a centaur.

5:17 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías left side of frieze, with expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise (lower left, over another of the angels with trumpets), and a centaur (at right, a piece obviously added later, overlapping the top of the archivolts); below the angel is the top of the figure of Christ blessing on the left abutment (telephoto 93 mm).

5:17 PM (Cropped) – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – lower part of left side of frieze, with expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise (over another of the angels with trumpets), and a centaur (at right, a piece obviously added later) (telephoto 93 mm).

5:14 PM (Cropped) – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – above the medallion with God the Father, flanked by two of the angels with trumpets, are (left to right) St. John, Santiago Apóstol (his halo bears the inscription IACOBO ZEBEDEO, for James, son of Zebedee), Christ blessing, and six other figures (probably the ones from the cathedral’s old choir by Master Mateo) (mild telephoto 56 mm).

5:17 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – above the medallion with God the Father, flanked by two of the angels with trumpets, are (left to right) St. John, Santiago Apóstol (his halo bears the inscription IACOBO ZEBEDEO, for James, son of Zebedee), Christ blessing, and two of six other figures (probably the ones from the cathedral’s old choir by Master Mateo) (telephoto 156 mm).

5:16 PM (Cropped) – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – above the medallion with God the Father, flanked by two of the angels with trumpets, are (left to right) St. John, Santiago Apóstol (his halo bears the inscription IACOBO ZEBEDEO, for James, son of Zebedee), Christ blessing, six other figures (probably the ones from the cathedral’s old choir by Master Mateo), and (at far right) St. Andrew and the Virgin and Child (mild telephoto 56 mm).

5:13 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías - tympanum of left door (telephoto 93 mm).

In the tympanum of the left door is Christ being tempted by a group of demons. To the right is a half-dressed woman with a scull in her hands, which could be Eve or the Woman Caught in Adultery. This figure is not praying on her knees but is sitting on two lions (their heads sticking out near her knees).

Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – figure of half-dressed woman on tympanum of left door (By Alma, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3058448).

On the jambs of the left door are St. Andrew and Moses.

5:14 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – left abutment with figures (bottom to top) of King David, creation of Adam and Eve, and Christ blessing; either St. Andrew or Moses on jamb of left door (mild telephoto 63 mm).

In the left abutment, the biblical King David is seated on his throne with his legs crossed, translucent through the thin fabric of his clothes, and playing what appears to be rebec (a bowed stringed instrument of the medieval era and early Renaissance); this personifies the triumph over evil. The creation of Adam and Christ’s blessing are also shown. Many of these figures come from the Romanesque façade of the north or Do Paraiso (of Paradise), the current façade of the Azabachería, and were placed on this façade in the 18th century.

Scholars believe that at least the sculptures of David and the creation of Adam and Eve, as well as the expulsion of Adam and Eve, came from the cathedral’s Porta Francigena, mentioned in the 12th-century Codex Calixtinus. The Porta Francigena, built in 1122, was the primitive north entrance, which constituted the end of the Camino Francés and the primary entrance by which pilgrims from the 12th century entered the Cathedral. Because it contained scenes of Paradise, it was also known as the Porta do Paraiso. After the Baroque western façade of the Obradoiro was built centuries later, pilgrims were encouraged to access the Cathedral through it, and the Romanesque northern entrance fell into a state of deterioration and was damaged by fire. It was destroyed in 1757-58 in order to erect the present Porta da Azabachería.

In the Codex Calixtinus, Book V, “A Guide for the Traveler,” provided a wealth of practical advice for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Its description of the Cathedral in Santiago described the old northern door as follows:

“Behind this atrium (paradise), there is the northern or Francigena door of the basilica of Santiago, in which there are two entrances, also beautifully carved with the following elements: in each of the two entrances, on the outside, there are six columns, some marble and others stone, three on the right and three on the left, that is, six in one entrance and six in the other, which in total twelve. On the column attached to the wall that separates the two doors from the outside, the Lord sits on the throne of majesty, imparting the blessing with his right hand and with a book in his left. Surrounding the throne, and as if sustaining it, appear the four evangelists; on your right is represented paradise, where the Lord appears again reproving Adam and Eve for their sin; and to the left, in another representation, expelling them from paradise. There are innumerable images of saints, beasts, men, angels, women, flowers and other creatures, whose meaning and forms we cannot describe, because of their great number. However, on the door on the left, as we entered the cathedral, that is, on the tympanum, the annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is represented. The angel Gabriel also appears speaking to her; to the left of the side entrance, over the doors, there appear carved the months of the year and many other beautiful representations. On the walls, on the outside, appear two huge and ferocious lions, one on the right and one on the left, who always look at the doors in a watchful attitude. In the jambs, in the high part, four apostles appear holding each one in his left hand two books and with the elevated right hand imparting the blessing to those who enter the cathedral: in the door of the left, to the right, there is Peter, and to the left, Paul; and in the door on the right, on the right, the apostle John, and on the left, Santiago. Also on each of the heads of the apostles, sculpted heads of bull that stand out from the lintels appear.”

5:15 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – King David on left abutment (mild telephoto 63 mm).

5:15 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – creation of Adam and Eve on left abutment (mild telephoto 63 mm).

5:15 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – Christ blessing, on left abutment (telephoto 93 mm).

5:15 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – Creation of Adam and Eve and Christ blessing, on left abutment; above that, on the lower left end of the frieze, is the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise (mild telephoto 49 mm).

5:14 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – center and right side of frieze and right tympanum (mild telephoto 56 mm).

5:14 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – tympanum of right door (telephoto 119 mm).

In the tympanum of the right door there are several scenes from the Passion of Christ and the Adoration of the Magi.

Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – jamb of right door (at right) with date inscription; in background is the left abutment with figures of King David, creation of Adam and Eve, and Christ blessing (By José Luis Filpo Cabana - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20897001).

In one of the jambs is the inscription commemorating the laying of the stone: ERA / IC / XVI . VIDUS / JULLII. This follows the Roman calendar, according to the computation of the Spanish era, corresponding to July 11, 1078.

5:14 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – right jamb of right door and figures on wall of Clock Tower (telephoto 72 mm).

To the right of the right door, on the wall of the Berenguela Tower, appear other images representing (from top to bottom) the creation of Eve, Christ on a throne, and the sacrifice of Isaac.

Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – creation of Eve at top on wall next to right door (By PMRMaeyaert - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17517824).

Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – Christ seated on throne, on wall next to right door (By PMRMaeyaert - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17517827).

5:14 PM – Santiago: Fachada das Praterías – Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac at  bottom on wall next to right door (telephoto 72 mm, Cropped).

Then we moved around to the east side of the Cathedral the, on Praza da Quintana.

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). The word quintana is the same as praza, 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.

5:18 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Clock Tower from east side and Porta da Quintana that led to gift shop.

The Fachada da Quintana (Façade of Quintana), which overlooks the Praza da Quintana (Quintana Square), has two main doors: the Porta da Quintana (Door of Quintana), also known as Porta Real (Royal Door), and the Porta Santa (Holy Door). From the Porta Real and all along the Quintana dos Mortos and Quintana dos Vivos, there is a long Baroque wall crowned with pinnacles. This wall was built in the 17th century to hide the Romanesque apse of the Cathedral and form the west boundary of the square.

The Porta da Quintana (Door of Quintana), also known as Porta Real (Royal Door), in Baroque style, was begun in 1666 and completed in 1700. It is considered the earliest Baroque work in Santiago and the beginning of the Baroque remodeling of the Cathedral. It had columns that span two floors of windows, a balustrade with large pinnacles, and an aedicula (small shrine-like space) with an equestrian statue of St. James (now disappeared), well adorned with decorative fruit clusters and large-scale military trophies. The kings of Spain entered the Cathedral through this door, hence its name and the royal coat of arms (of Carlos V) on its lintel. It now leads to the Cathedral’s gift shop.

The Porta das Abades (Door of the Abbots) also faces east onto the Quintana dos Vivos, at the top of the staircase. This is the door through which the monks of the Monastery of San Paio, on the other side of the square, accessed the Cathedral.

5:18 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Quintana - bottom of Clock Tower from east side and Porta da Quintana that led to gift shop.

5:19 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Quintana - Porta Sacra, with inner, actual Holy Door visible through passageway inside.

The Porta Sacra (Holy Door), also known as Porta de Perdón (Door of Forgiveness), closer to the steps of the square, is usually closed with a fence and opened only during Jubilee Years (Holy Years), when the feast day of St. James (July 25) falls on Sunday. It was one of the seven lesser doors and was dedicated to St. Pelagius (San Piao), whose monastery is just opposite it. On this door, niches contain the image of St. James, with his disciples Atanasio (Athanasius) and Teodoro (Theodorus) at his side (these sculptures are from 1694). On the bottom and sides of the door were placed 24 figures of prophets and apostles (including St. James) coming from the old stone choir of Master Mateo. The bronze door was designed by a Galician sculptor in 2004. Inside this door, through a small courtyard, is the true Holy Door, which enters into the ambulatory of the apse of the Cathedral.

5:19 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Quintana - Porta Sacra, Statues of Santiago flanked by his disciples Athanasius and Theodorus (telephoto 72 mm).

5:19 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Quintana – figures to left of Porta Sacra (mild telephoto 44 mm).

5:19 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Quintana – figures to right of Porta Sacra (mild telephoto 44 mm).

5:20 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Fachada da Quintana - inner, actual Holy Door (open) (mild telephoto 44 mm).

5:21 PM – Santiago: East side of Cathedral from upper level of Praza da Quintana – Clock Tower and Porta Sacra, with scaffolding of west façade and Torre de la Vela in background.

Then Don went across to the east side of the Praza da Quintana, to see the Mosteiro e Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares. On the way there, he passed the Casa da Parra, on the north side of the square.

5:22 PM – Santiago: Corner of east side of Cathedral (at left), Casa da Parra on north side of Praza da Quintana (with large square chimney), and Mosteiro e Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares (monastery wall and tower of church behind it) on east side of square (mild telephoto 49 mm).

Santiago: Casa da Parra, above steps leading to Praza da Quintana dos Vivos (By Lancastermerrin88 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8105843).

The Casa da Parra (House of the Grapevine), in Baroque style, was built in 1683, on the upper part of the Praza da Quintana, which is known as Praza da Quintana dos Vivos (Square of Quintana of the Living). This is one of the most iconic buildings in the historic district of Santiago with its typically Galician granite masonry and tiled roof. It stands out for the richness and originality of its ornamentation. It was altered in the 20th century with an additional floor on the left part of the building (giving it three) and the addition of a terrace with a beautiful balustrade that crowns the right part of the façade. Its decoration stands out because of the relief of bunches of grapes bordering the doors of the main entrance on the right and also the doors opening on the balcony above that entrance (giving the house its name). The house now also has actual grapevines growing on its façade. Also noteworthy are the corbels carved at the bottom of the iron balcony and the famous, monumental chimney. The large square chimney, with its careful carving and elaboration, was used in the 17th century as a symbol of the good economic situation of the owners. It is presently used as an exhibition hall.

The long wall of the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares stretched along the east side of Praza da Quintana.

Santiago: façade of Mosteiro e Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares on Praza da Quintana (By Graeme Churchard from Bristol (51.4414, -2.5242), UK - Santiago de Compostela, Spain-29Uploaded by tm, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25513783).

The Mosteiro e Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares (Monastery and Church of St. Paio of Antealtares), also known as Convento (Convent) of the same name,  was founded in the 9th (around 830) century with Benedictine monks in order to look after and render worship to the recently discovered tomb of St. James. The monastery was built east of the Roman mausoleum where the apostle’s remains were found, in front of its access door, which caused the monastery to receive the name Antealtares (before the altars). In 1077, the bishop of Santiago and the abbot of the monastery reached an agreement on the new location of the monastery, which stood in front of the three altars in honor of Salvador, San Pedro, and San Juan. In the years of decline, the Benedictine monks abandoned it almost in ruins (it collapsed in 1256) and settled in San Martiño Pinario. In 1495, all but the monastery church was used as a school for poor children, which was a forerunner of the University of Santiago. In 1499, it was occupied by a community of Benedictine nuns, which remain housed in it today. The convent was dedicated to San Paio (or Pelayo), a Galician saint of the 10th century who, as a child, was tortured and dismembered (some say beheaded) in Córdoba around 926 by order of Abderraman III (Abd al-Rahman III), the Arab emir of Córdoba, for refusing to convert to Islam. This saint is also known as San Pelayo Mártir (the Martyr) or, in English, as Pelagius of Córdoba.

The construction of the current monastery was begun in the 16th century, since the original one was demolished, but what we see now belongs almost entirely to the 17th and 18th centuries (finished in 1793). The renovation began around 1600. Between 1653 and 1657, a passage would be constructed  that connects this part with the church. One of the side walls closes one side of the Praza da Quintana, with an austere, sober design based on unadorned walls. Its monumentality brought about the jealousy of the archbishop and was the main cause of the remodeling of the Romanesque apse of the Cathedral, which resulted in its current appearance.

A narrow street called Via Sacra (Sacred Way) runs at an angle from the northeast corner of the Praza da Quintana dos Vivos to the Rúa de San Paio de Antealtares, which runs around the other side of the monastery complex. Around the corner of the west wall of the monastery, facing the Via Sacra, is the façade of the church, with the Porta dos Carros (Door of the Carriages).

5:23 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares – façade with Porta dos Carros with statue of San Paio above door; corner of Casa da Parra at left and north wall of monastery on right.

The construction of the present church, started in 1700, after the original monastery church was demolished in 1699. Although the new church was consecrated in 1707, construction lasted until 1709. The façade is simple but monumental and is dominated by an image of the martyrdom of San Paio.

5:23 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares – statue of San Paio above Porta dos Carros with (telephoto 93 mm).

As with this statue, San Paio is usually depicted as a handsome youth of 13 gazing to Heaven while a sword cuts through his neck and holding a palm branch (symbol of a martyr).

5:24 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares – view from rear of nave to main altar in apse, with smaller altars on front edges of apse, part of dome, and barrel vaulted ceilings of apse and transepts (vertical).

The interior is a feast of the Counter-Reformation style of Baroque art, which was designed to inform and impress Catholic worshipers with the beauty and story-telling of the church’s environment. There is a beautiful Baroque altarpiece on the main altar. The main altarpiece, from 1714, features images of three male saints, Bieto (Benedict), Plácido, and Mauro (Maurus) and three women saints, Escolástica (Scholastica), Xertrude (Gertrude), and Francisca Romana (Franchesca Romana). In the top section of the main altar is the image of San Paio, surrounded by Santiago and San Fernando mounted on horseback, inspired by the baldachin (canopy) of the Cathedral. The set is completed with the Assumption of the Virgin, accompanied by the apostles Peter and Paul. The church’s other Baroque altarpieces are also beautiful. The altar screens have astonishing detail. There is a beautiful dome over the crossing., topped with a lantern that illuminates the interior.

5:24 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares – view from rear of nave to main altar in apse, with smaller altars on front edges of apse, and pulpit at left (horizontal).

Santiago: Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares – view from rear of nave to main altar in apse, with smaller altars on front edges of apse, and pulpit at left (De José Luis Filpo Cabana - Obra propia, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19498546).

5:26 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares –main altar in apse.

5:24 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Paio de Antealtares –wooden choir stalls at rear of nave, through bars.

There is a nice dark wood choir at the rear of the church, behind a metal grate.

Then Don headed back toward the Hospedería de San Martiño Pinario, leaving the Praza da Quintana dos Vivos from the east end of Casa da Parra by a narrow, curving street leading to the Praza da Inmaculada (Praza da Azabachería). In that narrow street, called Rúa Transito Quintana (or Travesía da Quintana), was the Azabachería Rod Mayer shop, and next door to it was the Joyería Porto Relijería y Azabaches shop, with an address on Praza da Inmaculada.

The Azabachería Rod Mayer (Jet Jewelry Rod Mayer) is at Travesía da Quintana s/n [without number]. Established in 1891, it sells jet stone and jewelry pieces made by artisans and silversmiths with workshops in Santiago de Compostela and its proximity.

The Joyería Porto (Porto Jewelry), at Praza da Inmaculada 9, shop sells Relijería (religious items) and Azabaches (jet stone).

5:30 PM – Santiago: Azabachería Rod Mayer.

5:30 PM – Santiago: Joyería Porto.

Then Don went briefly back to the Praza das Praterías, in order to enter the Cathedral by the southern Porta das Praterías.

5:33 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – Torre do Tesoro and cloister wall, from top of steps leading up to Fachada das Praterías (at left is Casa do Cabido on south side of Praza das Praterías).

The Claustro (Cloister) of the Cathedral was built between 1521 and 1614 in Renaissance style, replacing the Gothic cloister of the 13th century. On its corners are the Torre da Vela for access to Praza do Obradoiro, and the Torre do Tesoro for access to Praza das Praterías.

The Torre do Tesoro (Treasure Tower, Spanish: Torre del Tesoro) is topped by an exotic, stepped pyramid, of oriental influence. (This design served as an inspiration for the similarly shaped Torre da Vela.) It was erected on the east side of the cloister, called the Fachada do Tesoro.

The Fachada do Tesoro (Treasure Façade, Spanish: Fachada del Tesoro), built in the mid-16th century, is reminiscent of Renaissance palaces, with coats of arms and medallions depicting kings, archbishops, and themes inspired by the Jacobean tradition (of St. James), such as his relics being brought by boat, his burial, or his appearance as Santiago Matamoros (the Moor-Slayer).

Then Don went into the Cathedral, through the Porta das Praterías and around the ambulatory of the apse, passing the doors leading to and from the steps that lead up behind the main altar and visiting  several of the side altars off the ambulatory.

Santiago: Cathedral – diagram of apse (Cropped from photo By Julio Donón - La Catedral de Santiago. Breve descripción histórica por José Vila-amil y Castro con la planta y un diseño iconográficoTipografía de la Revista de Archivos, MadridThe Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto, OntarioInternet Archive, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36035504). The key to the diagram identifies number 24 as Capilla de San Pedro, 25 as Capilla de Mondragón, and 26 as Capilla del Pilar (see below).

5:35 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – entrance, on left side of ambulatory around apse, to passage for embracing the statue of Santiago from behind the main altar; the altar is visible through the window above.

5:35 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – side chapel, Capilla del Pilar.

The Romanesque ambulatory and its small original chapels, with a semicircular profile, were transformed over the years. Donations, foundations, personal tastes, and different styles make this part of the apse a small example of the artistic trends that have left their mark on the Cathedral over the centuries.

Santiago: Cathedral: – Capilla del Pilar (By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43799582).

The Capilla del Pilar or Capilla del la Virgen del Pilar (Chapel of the Virgin of the Pillar) is at the beginning of the ambulatory on the right side of the apse. It has a spectacular design in Baroque style. The initial idea was not to build a chapel, but rather a new sacristy, large and with comfortable access to the main altar. Work on this project lasted from 1696 to 1711. In 1713, Archbishop Monroy managed to get the new space under construction to be a chapel, which was finished in 1719, except that the elaborate decoration of the chapel was delayed until 1723. The entire space is animated with marbles and jaspers, whose colors are complemented by some painted and gilded details. The main altarpiece recalls the ornamental motifs in the central part of the Façade of the Obradoiro. The top of the altarpiece frames a canvas that represents the miraculous appearance in Zaragosa of the Virgin on a pillar to Santiago and his disciples. The dome, decorated with Jacobean motifs—arches, crosses of Santiago, and scallop shells—as well as Monroy’s coats of arms among leaves and fruits.

5:36 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – exit door at bottom of steps for people coming down, on right side of ambulatory around apse, after embracing the statue of Santiago.

5:35 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – side chapel, Capilla de Mondragón, across from that exit door.

Although this altar has also been Called Capilla de la Santa Cruz (Chapel of the Holy Cross) or Capilla de la Piedad (Chapel of the Pieta), it is predominantly known as Capilla de Mondragón (Chapel of Mondragón), since that is the name of its founder, Juan de Mondragón. In 1521, Mondragón obtained permission to build it, adapted to the form of the space between preexisting chapels, as a beautiful ribbed vault.

Santiago: Cathedral – Capilla de Mondragón (By D.Rovchak - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72634378).

The most striking and original feature of the Capilla de Mondragón is its main altarpiece. Unlike typical wooden altarpieces or, less commonly, ones of stone, this is all modeled in baked clay. It features a scene with the sculptural group called “Llanto ante Cristo Muerto” (Weeping before the Dead Christ)—a “pieta” scene with Mary weeping over the body of Christ. In the foreground and resting on the knees of his Holy Mother, a rigid Christ sheds blood from his open side. Meanwhile Mary Magdalene prostrates herself at his feet. In the background, apostles, disciples, holy women, and other characters that witnessed the death of Christ bow their heads, clasp their hands, or beat their chests—clear gestures of deep pain. These thirteen characters are executed with great meticulousness and expressiveness in their faces and clothes. In them, one can appreciate still Gothic notes of Burgundian tradition. Behind this scene is a landscape in colorful relief that represents a view of Jerusalem from Calvary; however the houses and characters are more reminiscent of 16th-century Europe.

Despite its small size, the decoration of this chapel already increased in the Baroque period. Thus, in 1751, the overburdened carvings that surround the arch that shelters the pieta relief were added and also the remarkable images of St. John the Baptist and St. Anthony flanking the relief, as well as the larger statues of Christ on the Cross and of the Lady of Sorrows, on the sides of the chapel.

Santiago: Cathedral – Capilla de Mondragón - pieta scene in relief, flanked by small statues of St. Anthony (left) and John the Baptist (right) (By {{{1}}} - originally posted to Flickr as Catedral de Santiago, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11335445).

This altar is near the beginning of the curve of the right side of the ambulatory around the apse.

5:35 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – side chapel, Capilla de la Azucena.

The Capilla de la Azucena (Chapel of the Assumption) is one of the few chapels that preserve their original Romanesque architecture almost intact. It was one of the first that were erected. Once again, its name varies according to the historical moment or the source that is consulted. Usually, it is known as Capilla de la Azucena because it is the titular image of the altarpiece, but it has also been “del Magistral” or “Doña Mencía de Andrade” because of the tomb it houses. The documentation relating to this chapel does not abound until the 16th century, when it was said to have housed the body of San Silvestre (St. Silvester). When Doña Mencía de Andrade sponsored some reforms in 1582, she ordered her own tomb while still alive, in order to be buried in this chapel.

In the chapel, one can see the tomb of Doña Mencía de Andrade, reclining on her left side, resting her head on two pillows with her hand to her face, al most pretending to be peacefully asleep in her bed. In her other hand, spread over her mantle, she holds a rosary, But the most striking is at her feet, where a lying dog turns attentively toward his mistress.

The current main altarpiece, from 1731, was not the first hosted by this chapel. It houses the titular image of Nuestra Señora de la Azucena (Our Lady of the Assumption) and, in the upper body, the image of San Pedro (St. Peter). Hence it has also been called Capilla de San Pedro (Chapel of St. Peter). They are accompanied be figures of San José (St. Joseph) and San Judas Tadeo (St. Judas Thaddeus).

Santiago: Cathedral – statue of Our Lady of the Assumption flanked by St. Joseph and St. Judas Thaddeus in Capilla de la Azuncena (By Georges Jansoone - Self-photographed, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1247311).

Santiago: Cathedral – statue of St. Peter in upper part of Capilla de la Azuncena (By D.Rovchak - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72634379).

This chapel is farther around the curve of the ambulatory on the right side of the apse.

5:37 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – view of main altar from ambulatory behind it.

Leaving the ambulatory, Don faced the main altar.

Santiago: Cathedral – main altar, with statue of Santiago in center (below the botafumeiro) and small statues of Zebedee and Salomé on pillars to left and right (By CarlosVdeHabsburgo - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75063970).

On pillars just around the corners to the right and left of the main altar, at the beginning of the ambulatory, are statues of Salomé (also known as Mary Salomé), the mother of St. James, and Zebedee, the saint’s father.

1:38 AM – Santiago: Cathedral – view from south transept to north transept, with statue of Salomé (in red circle) on pillar.

Wednesday, ‎September ‎24, ‎2014, 3:51 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – statue of Salomé on pillar just around corner from right side of main altar; scroll from her right hand says “Sta. Salomé” as does bronze plaque atop pedestal.

An ancient Spanish legend has it that Mary Salomé accompanied her son, the Apostle James, on his mission to Galicia.

Wednesday, ‎September ‎24, ‎2014, 3:57 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – statue of Zebedee on pillar just around corner from left side of main altar; plaque atop pedestal says “Zebedeo.”

5:42 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – statue of Santiago Matamoros in north transept, showing at least one of the Moors, who is not completely hidden by the flowers.

The Camarín de Santiago Caballero (Chamber of Santiago on Horseback), located in the north arm of the transept, is the smallest of the chapels in the Cathedral today dedicated to the veneration of an image. Its small size means that it cannot be accessed or circulated through it. It also prevents the placement of any type of altarpiece. It houses only an equestrian statue of the apostle Santiago in his iconography of Santiago Caballero or Santiago Matamoros (Moor-Slayer). These titles refer to his miraculous intervention on the back of a white horse at the Battle of Clavijo. According to tradition, the legendary battle took place at the dawn of the Reconquista (Reconquest) and pitted the troops of Ramiro I of Asturias against the hosts of the Arab emir Abderramán II in 844, in the vicinity of the town of Clavijo in the district of Rioja. Santiago appeared with a silver sword in his hand when the fight seemed irredeemably lost to the Arab invaders, who finally fled in terror before such a phantasmagoric vision. This handsome 18th-century statue, which may have been a processional image, was the work of José Gambino, the last great master of Galician Baroque sculpture as early as the Rococo era. It is an object of great devotion, which explains why great numbers of candles were lit before it. Today, for reasons of safety and to avoid the smoke that once blackened the white steed, the candles have been replaces by electric ones.

In 2004, after terrorist bomb attacks on trains in Madrid, concern that the statue could attract the anger of the Arab world led to a plan to put the statue in a museum and replace it with a less provocative statue of Santiago Peregrino (St. James the Pilgrim). However, the public outcry of outraged Roman Catholics forced Church officials to overturn the decision. However, the lower part of the statue, showing writhing Moors on the ground, being beheaded by the saint’s sword and trampled beneath the hooves of his white horse, is now covered by a floral arrangement.

This small chapel was not built for iconographic purposes, since it was originally part of an entrance to an old Gothic chapel. It was an entrance already in Mannerist style, as can be seen by the architecture surrounding this niche. The space occupied by this niche is bounded by an 18th-century grille for which some fragments of the grille that had enclosed the Cathedral’s main chapel and choir since the 16th century.

5:42 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – statue of Santiago Matamoros in north transept, with Moors hidden by the flowers.

5:42 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – rope, tied to pillar, for swinging the silver botafumeiro that hangs below the dome.

5:44 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – sign at rear of nave for “Restaurción del Pórtico de la Gloria” (Restoration of the Pórtico de la Gloria).

At the rear of the nave was a huge sign about the ongoing restoration of the famous Pórtico de la Gloria; therefore, this portico was totally closed off and not available to see.

Don was supposed to look for apples during his tour. So he headed south from the Cathedral on the Rúa do Vilar, which had many shops in its arcades.

5:51 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – view down Rúa do Vilar with arcades.

Don continued southward, all the way past the end of Rúa do Vilar, to the same frutería (fruit store) where MT had bought fruit on the way into town on Sunday.

5:51 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – sign on door of former Oficina del Peregrino (Pilgrim Office) showing how to get from there to its new location at Rúa das Carretas No. 33.

On his way back, on Rúa Nova (parallel to Rúa do Vilar), Don decided to check out the Igrexa da Santa María Salomé (Church of Saint Mary Salomé). On his way there, he happened on the Bar la Tita, at Rúa Nova 46, with its menu outside the door.

6:04 PM – Santiago: menu for Bar la Tita (mild telephoto 56 mm).

On the menu, he noticed, under “Ensaladas Salads,” a “Mista/Mixed” salad of tomatoes, lettuce, and onions, for €3.50. (This sounded good, for a light supper after a large lunch, and we come back to get it later.)

6:05 PM – Santiago: view up Rúa Nova to north, with arcades and bell tower of Igrexa de Santa Salomé at right.

6:05 PM – Santiago: Igrexa de Santa Salomé – porch and bell tower.

Santiago: Igrexa de Santa Salomé – façade, with portico, and bell tower; small white sign to left of portico reads: “Santa María Salome” (By LIMIARculturalocal - Igrexa de Santa María SaloméUploaded by stegop, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27530119).

The Igrexa de Santa María Salomé (Church of Saint Mary Salomé; Spanish: Iglesia de Santa María Salomé), commonly called Igrexa de Santa Salomé, halfway along the Rúa Nova, is the only church in Spain dedicated to the mother of the Apostle Santiago and of his brother, San Juan Evangelista (St. John the Evangelist). Its construction was ordered by Archbishop Xelmírez in the 12th century and was founded by Abbot Pelaio around 1140. However, only the Romanesque doorway of the façade and some small details remain from that time.

6:06 PM – Santiago: Igrexa da Santa Salomé – main door, under porch; sign over door reads: ”Iglesia Paroquial de Santa María Salomé” (Parish Church of Saint Mary Salomé).

On the keystone of the triple archivolt over that door stands the seated image of the Virgen de la Leche (Nursing Virgin) with Child, from the 14th (some sources say 13th) century, and on both sides of the door are statues of the pregnant Virgin (left) and the Angel Gabriel (right) of the Annunciation, belonging to a Gothic sculptural group of the 15th century, with traces of the original polychrome. The original tympanum was removed in the 14th century, when the Virgin was added. The door is flanked by columns with simple bases and capitals with zoomorphic (animal) decoration and on which there are rosettes represented in circles. The doorway is covered by a heavy 16th-century portico (porch) open to the street, which still preserves remnants of the primitive Romanesque one. The unfortunately very deteriorated corbels above the door, supporting the portico, have representations of Samson and the lion, a contortionist, a musician, animals, and a monster. The Baroque tower was built around the middle of the 18th century (1743).

On the way back to Hospedería San Martiño Pinario, Don again passed the Azabachería Rod Mayer shop on the Travesía da Quintana

6:11 PM – Santiago: jade jewelry in window of Azabachería Rod Mayer shop.

Near the entrance to the Hospedería San Martiño Pinario, Don passed the Cathedral’s northern Fachada de Azabachería.

6:11 PM – Santiago: Cathedral – north façade and towers.

After Don showed MT the menu from Bar la Tita, we went back there for the mixed salad (€3.50 each). Since we had had wine (a whole bottle) at lunch, we ordered two (small) bottles of water (€1 each), for a total of €9.20 with tax; MT also had a Cappuccino that was not on the receipt. We also got a free starter of tortilla Española (warm), which was great, and bread with the salad.

According to tripadvisor.com, Bar la Tita is known in Santiago for typical Galician meals, accompanied by good wine. It is often packed with students because you get a free tapa of tortilla Española (Spanish potato omelet) with every drink you order.

7:13 PM – Santiago: Bar la Tita exterior and view into interior (where we had to eat, since there was no table available outside at that time).

Back at the Hospedería San Martiño Pinario, Don showered, and then we hung his towel, doubled, over the door to keep the light out (which had kept MT awake the previous night). Then we hung MT’s bath towel, also doubled, over it too, but some light still came through.