The Cathedral of St. James of Compostela, is the mother church of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela and one of the largest Catholic sanctuaries in the world; inside, in the crypt, the faithful venerate the relics of the apostle St. James the Greater, considered the patron saint of Spain.
The cathedral is famous all over the world, as it is the final destination of the Camino de Santiago, or the historic pilgrimage of medieval origin, which winds along a path of about 800 km between France and Spain and which, according to the chosen path and training of those who practice it, it can last up to a month.
According to legend, in fact, the body of the apostle James the Greater was found in the ninth century in the area where the cathedral stands.
A first church dedicated to the saint was consequently built at the beginning of the 9th century, at the behest of Alfonso II of Asturias.
Subsequently, in 899, under King Alfonso III, the first church was replaced by another larger one, in the proto-Romanesque style.
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
Address: Praza do Obradoiro
Phone: 981 583 548
Site:
http://catedraldesantiago.es/Location inserted by
Alberto Rubin