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City Guide - Santiago de Compostela - Key Attractions | ||
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Key Attractions Catedral de Santiago de Compostela The key attraction of the city is the Cathedral itself. For many centuries, it has been the destination of pilgrimages. Its oldest parts are Romanesque, begun in 1075, but much of the modern fabric is brilliant Baroque. The magnificently decorated eighteenth-century Obradoiro façade (the 'workplace' façade, named after the stonecutters who worked there during the construction of the Cathedral) was created by Fernando de Casas y Novoa, who superimposed it on the original Romanesque plan of the basilica. Just inside is the Pórtico da Gloria, a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture that once opened onto the square with almost 200 sculptures of Galician granite, dating from 1188. Look for the fingerholes worn into the stone by pilgrims gratefully touching it as they arrived at the end of their lengthy journey. From here, the great nave opens towards the chancel and the monumental Baroque high altar, below which lie the relics of St James in a Roman mausoleum. The crossing lantern houses the suspension mechanism for the botafumeiro. This is a huge Baroque censer whose pendulum swings down the entire length of the transepts during special ceremonies, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle. There are many smaller beauties within the Cathedral, including the Chapel of La Corticela (dating from the Cathedral's foundation), the ornate Chapel of El Pilar and the finely worked Mondragón Chapel. The façade at the opposite end of the Cathedral from the Obradoiro façade has a beautifully ornamental clock tower, the Torre de la Trinidad, and the famous Puerta Santa (Holy Door), opened only during years when the Feast of St James (25 July) is on a Sunday; the last one was in 1999. Praza do Obradoiro Tel: (981) 583 548; fax: (981) 571 434. Transport: Bus 10 to Praza de Galicia and then a short walk. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1300 and 1600-1800, Sun 1000-1330 and 1600-1900. Admission: Free. Museo y Tesoro de la Catedral (Cathedral Museum and Treasury) Housed in the lovely sixteenth-century Cathedral cloisters, the Cathedral Museum holds relics of the long history of Santiago de Compostela as well as the Archive and Library. The Cathedral treasures are stored here, including the botafumeiro (giant incense box) when it is not being used (which is most of the year). The archaeological section includes fragments of the original Romanesque Cathedral structure, while the tapestry galleries have splendid French and Spanish hangings. Praza do Obradoiro / Praza das Praterías Tel: (981) 560 527. Fax: (981) 563 366 633. Transport: Bus 10 to Praza de Galicia and then a short walk. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1100-1330 and 1630-1830, Sun and public holidays 1000-1330 and 1600-1900. Admission: Pta500. Praza do Obradoiro Sharing the name of the great Baroque façade that is one of its centrepieces, thE paved Cathedral square comprises a whole ensemble of architectural gems. Probably the best surviving example of Romanesque civic architecture in Spain, the Pazo de Xelmírez (next to the Cathedral cloisters) has a perfect vaulted medieval interior behind its eighteenth-century façade. On the north side of the square, the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, with its four courtyards, was built as a pilgrim hospice by Ferdinand and Isabella and is now one of Spain's loveliest parador hotels. The Colexio de San Xerome is a smaller medieval building with a finely decorated fifteenth-century portal, while the Colexio de Fonseca, immediately behind it, is a Renaissance college decorated inside and out. The newest monument in the square, the elegant Pazo de Raxoi, is a neo-classical palace and former seminary now housing local government offices. The streets and lanes opening off the square lead to other lovely parts of the Old Quarter. Transport: Bus 10 to Praza de Galicia and then a short walk. Praza da Quintana Quintana Square, with its flight of steps that divide it into the curiously named Quintana of the Living and Quintana of the Dead, faces the apse of the Cathedral, with its famous Holy Door (opened only during Holy Years) as well as the Royal Door. The Convento de San Paio de Antealtares, opposite the Cathedral, is one of the city's oldest foundations, dating to the ninth century, and originally housing Benedictine nuns. It has a stark façade with 48 barred windows, leavened by some charming sculptural decorations around the doors. The monastery church is a Baroque design on a Greek cross plan, with a lovely shell-covered dome. Also on the square, the Casa da Parra is a Baroque mansion with suitably florid trimmings. Transport: Bus 10 to Praza de Galicia and then a short walk. |