Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the Galicia autonomous community in northwestern Spain and the final destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes. The city grew around the tomb of the apostle James, discovered according to tradition in the ninth century, and became one of the three great pilgrimage destinations of medieval Christendom alongside Rome and Jerusalem.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the city’s dominant monument and the goal of all Camino pilgrims. The building spans Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and Churrigueresque phases, with the spectacular Praza do Obradoiro facade completed in 1738 representing the apotheosis of Spanish Baroque architecture. The Romanesque core, begun in 1075, contains the crypt with the relics of Saint James beneath the high altar.

The historic city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Botafumeiro, a massive incense burner swung on a rope across the nave during solemn liturgies, is among the most dramatic ritual objects in world Christianity.