Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

“Over the apostle's tomb, where the long walk comes to rest”

Open in Google Maps

Go deeper↓

Photo: Jrodriguezdm · CC BY-SA 3.0

Scenes

The great golden censer, the Botafumeiro, hanging from its chains — The Botafumeiro — the great censer swinging across the naveLuis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez · CC BY-SA 3.0

The spires of Santiago Cathedral rising above the red rooftops of the old town — The cathedral's spires above the rooftops of the cityLuis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez · CC BY-SA 3.0

Meaning

You stand in the Praza do Obradoiro and the cathedral's facade fills the sky, while the great censer — the Botafumeiro — swings wide across the nave, scattering incense.

Tradition tells that the tomb of the Apostle Saint James — Santiago — was discovered here and the cathedral raised above it; since the Middle Ages it has been counted with Jerusalem and Rome among Christianity's three great pilgrimage destinations. The Camino Francés and many other pilgrim roads end in the square before its doors.

Field notes

Location: Santiago de Compostela · Galicia · N42.9° · W8.5°
Best time: Midday, for the pilgrims' Mass — on great feast days, the rite of the great censer as well.
Getting there: Facing the Praza do Obradoiro in the old town.
Etiquette: Keep quiet during Mass, and honor the place of those who have just completed their pilgrimage.

Sources

· UNESCO World Heritage
· Encyclopaedia Britannica

Official site Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.