Fachada del Obradoiro

Beyond a doubt, the Praza do Obradoiro is the most spectacular feature of Santiago for both pilgrims and tourists alike, and it is the nerve center of the city today. Looming over the Praza is the Catedral's overpowering Obradoiro façade, which lends its name to the whole Praza and which in the local language, Gallician, means "work of gold". The Obradoiro was built between 1738 and 1750 by Fernando de Casa y Novóa, although the original church which the façade drapes like a curtain dates from 1075, when work first began on it. The sheer height of the Obradoiro is brought out even more by the two originally Romanesque towers that flank it: the Bell Tower and the Carraca Tower. After climbing the stairs at the foot of the façade, which date back to the XVII century, and entering the church through the Obradoiro Door, visitors are greeted with one of the spectacular creations of Romanesque architecture: the Pórtico de la Gloria, an arched portico built by Mateo the Master at the end of the XII century. At the portico, pilgrims must place their hands on the mullion and tap the sculpture of Master Mateo three times with their foreheads. The church was designed on a Latin cross floor plan consisting of three naves and a high altar behind which are three radiating chapels in bays off the ambulatory. Underneath the altar is the Cathedral's most precious relic, the burial site of St James the Apostle, whose remains were found in 820 by a religious hermit called Pelayo.

Obradoiro Door

The nave of the cathedral is the setting for one of its most interesting sights: the flight of the botafumeiro, a censer that gives off smoke as it swings through the air in spectacular fashion during the liturgical celebrations. The Cathedral Museum was founded in 1943 as an archaeological museum to house the findings from excavations in the subsoil below the basilica during that decade. The museum is divided into two parts: the crypt, which is located below the Pórtico de la Gloria and represented the old cathedral, a Romanesque construction that introduced the first cross vaults into Spain; and the cloister, which is connected to the rooms of the Chapel of the Relics, the Royal Pantheon, and the Treasure ( cathedral daily from 7:30 to 21:00; museum Monday to Saturday on summer from 10:00 to 14:00 & 16:00 to 20:00, on winter from 10:00 to 13:30 & 16:00 to 18:30, Sunday mornings only; free for cathedral, museum adults 5 €, students and pilgrims 3 €).

Back in the Praza do Obradoiro, there are other captivating buildings to be seen, such as the Palacio de Raxoi (Rajoy Palace), erected during the time when Bartolomé de Raxoi y Losad was Archbishop of Santiago. This neoclassic building is home to the City Hall and the Presidency of the Xunta de Galicia, the autonomous government of the Galicia region. Over the building's main door there is a sculpture of the Apostle St James and above this a series of depictions of the Battle of Clavijo. Another building of interest in the Praza is the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos (Catholic Kings' Inn), which was founded by Ferdinand and Isabel in 1492 as a royal hospital and lodging facility, housing a National Tourism Parador actually. This building has four indoor patios and a façade rich in Plateresque decoration. The less imposing Colegio de San Jerónimo (St Jerome's College) -founded by Alfonso III de Fonseca in the XV century- has a Romanesque portico which actually dates from an earlier hospital on the same site.

Palacio de Xelmírez

Botafumeiro ADVICE FOR THE TRAVELLER The most important recommendation for those making the pilgrimage is that they should travel light, as the continuous long walks require a physical effort that becomes more arduous the more weight is carried. Blisters tend to be the walker's main enemy, owing to which it is advisable to wear comfortable shoes that have already been moulded to the shape of his/her feet. The following items are also essential: a sleeping bag, a cagoule, and ear plugs for those nights in hostel dormitories. -The Pilgrim's Certificate is a document available from associations, fraternities, hostels, archbishoprics, and universities that grants its bearer the status of pilgrim, allowing him/her to enjoy the hospitality of the hostels and the inhabitants of the towns on the Pilgrim's Route. It should be stamped with the date twice a day in the places through which the pilgrim passes (churches, hostels, and hotels) in order to prove that the pilgrimage is actually being made. -The Compostelana is a document issued by the Cathedral Chapter of Santiago, which certifies that a pilgrimage has been made for religious or spiritual reasons. To obtain it you must present a Pilgrim's Certificate with proof of having covered at least 100 km on foot (or 200 km by bicycle) before reaching Santiago. -The bull issued by Pope Callixtus II granted the privilege of the Holy Years. This event is repeated every six years when the 25th July falls on Sunday to allow pilgrims to earn the jubilee, i.e. to obtain plenary indulgence. In order to achieve this they must fulfil three conditions: visiting Santiago Cathedral in a Holy Year, saying a prayer at a Holy Mass, and receiving the Sacraments of Penitence and the Communion fifteen days before or after their visit to Santiago.

The visit to the Praza is completed after seeing the Palacio de Xelmírez, one of the major Romanesque-style civil buildings, which houses a very interesting exhibit of Romanesque works. From the Obradoiro, visitors should head off in the direction of the Praza de las Platerías, a square named for the Medieval guild of silversmiths once located there, where one of the Catedral doors, and the Puerta de las Platerías, the only Romanesque door yet remaining in the city. The Casa del Cabildo -the Baroque chapterhouse- rounds out the square's decoration as it closes off one of the sides like an ornate curtain. Leaving Praza de las Platerías and before entering the Praza de la Quintana, visitors should see the Torre del Reloj (Clock Tower), erected on top of the Gothic understructure by Domingo de Andrade during the heyday of the Baroque period. Another one of Domingo de Andrade's works can be seen in the Praza de la Quintana, namely the Casa de los Canónigos (House of Canons). This building has enormous fireplaces and cafés located in the lower porticos where visitors can sit down for a rest and a cup of coffee. The Monasterio de San Peio de Antealteares (Saint Pelayo Monastery), also located on the Praza, boasts a façade covered with grated windows, housing the Museum of Sacred Art ( Monday to Saturday from 10:30 to 13:30 & 16:00 to 19:00). Exiting the Praza by way of the Travesía de la Quintana, visitors reach the Church of the Inmaculada, or Azabachería, built in both Baroque and Neoclassical styles and where artisans are still at work on this old fossil. Opposite the Inmaculada and next to the Cathedral is the Monasterio de San Martiño Pinario, the most valuable example of Gallician Baroque architecture. Visitors should have a look at the westerly façade, with its gargoyles, the inside cloisters and the huge church, with its richly appointed altarpieces ( Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 13:30 & 16:00 to 18:30, daily on July and August from 11:00 to 19:00; adults 2.50 €, students 1.50 €).

The Rúa del Villar is another street of interest, as it is home to beautiful palaces, such as the Renaissance-style Palacio de Monroy, the Baroque and Neoclassical Palacio de los Marqueses de Bendana, and the Baroque-style Casa del Deán (Deacon's House), which today houses the Oficina del Peregrino (Office for Pilgrims). The Galician Centre of Contemporary Art -at Rúa Ramón Valle-Inclán- was designed by the Portuguese Álvaro Siza to show the main artistic tendencies of recent years, with retrospective exhibitions of the work of artists of international renown and specific projects by younger artists; special attention is paid to the new Galician creators ( Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 20:00; free).

THE PILGRIM'S ROUTE TO SANTIGO

The history of the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago de Compostela dates back to Pelayo's discovery of the burial site of St James the Apostle in the year 820. Legend has it that for several nights in a row Pelayo observed a sort of star shower that appeared above a mound -a compostela-, and after notifying Bishop Teodomiro about it, they found a stone sepulchre containing the remains of St James -who evangelised the whole of the Iberian Peninsula- as well as his disciples Teodoro and Atanasio. After this discovery, the burial site of St James the Apostle became one of the major destinations for pilgrims in Europe, and the customary route was established along the many Roman routes that joined the Peninsula. Along the route, infrastructures and bridges were built in order to meet the needs of the pilgrims, and also lodging facilities, hospitals, churches, monasteries and towns along the route were established. Santiago de Compostela grew up around the sepulchre, and under Calixtus II became the third holy city (after Rome and Jerusalem). After the XIV century crisis brought on by the bubonic plague, Pope Leon XIII issued a papal bull certifying the authenticity of the remains, which renewed interest in the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago. The Route continues to gain in popularity today, especially after Santiago was declared a Mankind Heritage City.

There are a number of ways to make the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago. The most well-known and widely used is the French Route, which leads pilgrims from Central Europe to the site. Pilgrims cross over the border into Spain at either Roncesvalles (in Navarra) or Somport (in Aragon) and they follow the road through Puente la Reina, Logroño, Burgos, León and finally to Santiago. Roncesvalles tends to be the starting point for most pilgrims, but any other point along the Route will do. Another route that is gaining in popularity is the Northern Route, which follows the north coast of Spain from Irún to Santiago. This route is signposted but it has no pilgrims' shelters along the way. There is another similar route which follows the Ruta de la Plata (the Silver Route), which leads pilgrims to Santiago from Seville, and passes through Zafra, Mérida, Cáceres, Plasencia, Salamanca, Zamora and Ourense.

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