![]() |
City Guide - Santiago de Compostela - History | ||
![]() |
||
History c. 300-200BC Romans arrive in the Iberian Peninsula c. AD30-40 St James the Great reportedly visits Spain and attempts to convert locals 44 St James the Great is beheaded in the Holy Land; disciples take his remains to Galicia 409 Germanic tribes invade Roman Hispania, establishing a Visigothic kingdom 711 Muslims defeat Roderick, the last Goth King 813 Bishop Theodomir discovers relics of St James c. 830 Alfonso II, the first documented pilgrim king,orders the construction of a church on the site of the tomb of St James 899 Alfonso III has large basilica built on tomb site 951 Bishop of Le Puy visits the tomb site of St James 997 Muslim troops raze Santiago de Compostela and destroy basilica 1075 Building of Cathedral begins 1188 The lintels of Pórtico da Gloria laid by Maestro Mateo 1469 Isabel, princess of Castile, marries Fernando, heir to Aragon, uniting Spain's two kingdoms 1478 The Spanish Inquisition: Jews and other non-Christians are executed in their thousands 1492 Conquest of Granada: the Muslim king surrenders, ending the Reconquista; Columbus reaches the Americas and Spain develops its New World empire 1499 Hostal dos Reis Católicos founded 1501 University is founded; Isabel and Fernando visit the city 1534 Colegio de Fonseca is built 1561 Beginning of the Siglo de Oro (Golden Century) 1702-14 War of the Spanish Succession; Philip V becomes Spain's first Bourbon king 1738-50 Fernando de Casas y Novoa buildsthe Obradoiro façade; great period of Galician Baroque building and decoration 1766 Neo-Classical Pazo Raxoi is built on Praza do Obradoiro 1808-13 French occupation of Spain under Napoleon 1814-33 Fernando VII is granted the Spanish throne and re-establishes the Inquisition 1820 Military coup leads to three years of liberal rule 1823 Fernando VII returns to power 1868 Isabel II is ousted during the revolution 1871 Amadeo of Savoy takes the Spanish throne 1873 Amadeo abdicates and a Republic is formed before being overthrown in a military coup. Finally, Alfonso XII becomes King 1923-1930 General Primo de Rivera's period of dictatorship 14 Apr 1931 The Second Republic is declared 1936-39 Civil War breaks out between left-wing Republicans and the right-wing Nationalists 1 Apr 1939 Victorious Franco declares peace and imposes his dictatorship, which would lead to Spain's exclusion from NATO and the UN 20 Nov 1975 Death of Franco 15 Jun 1977 Spain's first democratic general election takes place 1978 Drafting of democratic constitution 1981 Santiago de Compostela becomes capital of the Autonomous Community of Galicia 1 Jan 1986 Spain joins the European Community 1993 UNESCO designates Santiago de Compostela a World Heritage Site 1996 Conservative Partido Popular is the winning party in the general election 1998 The city holds Compostela Millennium Festival 1999 Santiago de Compostela celebrates last Año Santo (Holy Year) of the millennium. 2000 Santiago de Compostela is made a European City of Culture for 2000 |