Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)

My family and I went this week for the second time to Santigo de Compostela. The first time was in 2018 and we visited the interior of the Cathedral. This year we didn't go inside but we explored the old town a little more.

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century.

The cathedral borders the main plaza of the old and well-preserved city. 

Along the western side of the Praza do Obradoiro is the elegant 18th-century Pazo de Raxoi, now the city hall. Across the square is the Pazo de Raxoi (Raxoi's Palace), the town hall, and on the right from the cathedral steps is the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, founded in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon, as a pilgrims' hospice (now a Parador).

Santiago de Compostela

Within the old town there are many narrow winding streets full of historic buildings. - in: wikipedia

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

My parents brought me this postcard

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a cathedral of the archdiocese is in the World Heritage Site of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The cathedral has historically been a place of pilgrimage on the Way of St. James, since the Early Middle Ages. The building is a Romanesque structure with later Gothic and Baroque additions. in: wikipedia

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

This postcard was sent by Vanesa

Each of the façades along with their adjoining squares constitute a magnificent urban square. The Baroque façade of the Praza do Obradoiro square was completed by Fernando de Casas Novoa in 1740. Also in baroque style is the Acibecharía façade by Ferro Caaveiro and Fernández Sarela, later modified by Ventura Rodríguez. The Pratarías façade, built by the Master Esteban in 1103, and most importantly the Pórtico da Gloria, an early work of Romanesque sculpture, were completed by Master Mateo in 1188. - in: wikipedia

Cathedral and the relics of St. James

The crypt, below the main altar, shows the substructure of the 9th-century church. This was the final destination of the pilgrims. The crypt houses the relics of Saint James and two of his disciples: Saint Theodorus and Saint Athanasius. The silver reliquary (by José Losada, 1886) was put in the crypt at the end of the 19th century, after authentication of the relics by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. - in: wikipedia

Botafumeiro

This postcard was sent from Portugal by Paulo

The Botafumeiro is a famous thurible found in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. In the past, similar devices were used in large churches in Galicia; one is still used in the Tui Cathedral. Incense is burned in this swinging metal container, or "censer". The name "Botafumeiro" means "smoke expeller" in Galician.

The Botafumeiro is suspended from a pulley mechanism in the dome on the roof of the church. The current pulley mechanism was installed in 1604. - in: wikipedia

Cabildo House

The Casa do Cabildo has a beautiful baroque façade. It was designed by the architect Clemente Fernández Sarela in 1758 and fulfils an ornamental function as it serves to enclose and enhance the Plaza de las Platerías square. The Casa del Cabildo was Valle-Inclán's inspiration for his story 'Mi hermana Antonia'.It was restored by the Santiago Consortium in 2011 and since then has formed part of the network of museums in the historic city. - in: https://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/coruna_a/casa_do_cabildo.html

Staircase of the Convent of San Domingos

This postcard was sent by Vanesa

St Dominic's monastery (Galician: Convento de San Domingos de Bonaval; Castilian: Santo Domingo de Bonaval) is a former Dominican monastery in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.

The convent was founded by St. Dominic de Guzman (who went on pilgrimage to Santiago in 1219) in the early thirteenth century.

In 1695 starts the reconstruction of the convent, apparently due to the precarious situation of the building. Domingo de Andrade was in charge of the works under the patronage of Archbishop Antonio de Monroy. Thus, the current image of the convent is largely the result of the reforms ordered by this archbishop of Compostela, who held office between 1685 and 1715.

Inside the convent stands the extraordinary triple helical staircase of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the work also the architect Domingo de Andrade. It consists of three separate coils. - in: wikipedia