For more than a thousand years the route to Santiago has been trodden by millions of feet
The most important holy route in Christianity attracted millions of Europeans in the Middle Ages
and people from the world over in the late 20th century. Some of the pilgrims who follow the route are motivated by religion, while others set
out in search of adventure. Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, on their way to visit the sepulchre of the Apostle
will find in hospitable Burgas a plethora of Jacobean marks. The Gate of Santa Maria is one of the twelve gates in the medieval city walls
The Plaza del Rey San Fernando boasts the Cathedral of Santa Maria, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984
Built on the location of the original Romanesque cathedral, the first stone was laid in 1221 by King Ferdinand III and Bishop Don Mauricio
The main façade has the Royal Gate, also known as the Gate of Pardon, which was refurbished
in the 18th century, and a large rose window and gallery with eight statues of the Monarchs
of Castile beneath the Statue of St. Mary and the inscription Pulkra es et Decora
On both sides are the 84-metre towers, crowned with splendid spires from the 15th century
The cathedral is the reputed burial place of St. James the Greater, one of the Apostles
of Jesus Christ, and is the destination of the Way of St. James, a major historical pilgrimage
route since the Middle Ages. According to legend, the Apostle St. James the Greater brought the message of Christ
to the shells in the Iberian Peninsula. According to the Codex Calixtinus, the architects were Bernard the Elder, Robertus Calperinus
and Esteban. The much larger Puerta del Sarmental is reached by climbing a long sweeping staircase
at the top of which is a sculpture of Jesus, with the Apostles writing at their pulpits
The history of Leon is written on every one of its stones
reminding visitors that it was once part of an old kingdom and that it played a key role in the route of the Camino de Santiago
the Way of St. James. The city of León is the capital of León province
in the autonomous community of Castile and León in northwest Spain. The city is home to an enviable collection of monuments
that embraces almost all artistic styles, from Romanesque, Gothic, Plateresque, Renaissance and Modern
The Convento of San Marcos is a convent hospital for pilgrims. It was used as a hospital for the pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Campostela
That's why some of the statues that appear on the Plateresque-style facade of the convent
and some medallions represent Jacobean motifs. One of Lyon's glories is without a doubt the cathedral
one of the finest in Europe. Construction started in the 13th century and it took 200 years to complete
Among its unusual features are its towers and steeples, where no attempt was made to make them match
It has more than 250 remarkable stained glass windows, including a large rose window
In total, there are over 1,800 square metres of glass. The Cathedral Museum is also worthy of a visit, with its wide array of exhibits
The Leon Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Maria de la Regla, was declared of cultural interest in 1844
The pilgrim's route to Santiago, the objective of which was the saint's tomb in Santiago de Compostela
enabled cultural communication between all the towns of the Catholic world. The historic fact from which the town of Santiago
was converted into a pilgrimage centre was the discovery of the tomb of St. James
and his declaration as the patron saint of the kingdom in the 9th century
Today, the town has been converted into one of the most important monumental sites in the world
Its culture and monuments are of great value, and outstanding among them is the impressive cathedral with a baroque façade
located in the Plaza de Obradoira. The vast area of this square, devoted to the cathedral building
is in fact made up of three easily distinguishable parts, namely a central section and two side ones
Built in Baroque style in the first half of the 18th century
this facade came to replace a formerly existing one and features elements to be assigned to various epochs
Standing around 70 metres high, the towers feature a 12th century Romanesque-style first level, disguised by more recent additions
to which the two remaining levels were added in the 17th and 18th centuries, in Baroque style
The highlights of the rich ornamentation gracing this façade are from top to bottom
the effigy of St. James the Apostle, depicted in pilgrim's attire, and underneath the latter, a star-spangled chest symbolising the saint's tomb
Thus the flight of steps giving access to the cathedral was erected in the 17th century
and leads to what is mistakenly referred to as the Old Cathedral
but which in reality is a 12th century vaulted Romanesque-style edifice, one which forms the true foundations of the cathedral at this point
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Moving on from the Plaza de la Obra Doira, we reach this square by means of a passage
the Arco del Palacio. Plaza de la Azabacería is so called in memory of the Guild of Jet Craftsmen
of Azabaceros, whose workshops once lined both the square itself and the adjoining street of the same name
Plaza de la Azabacería is flanked by three extraordinary buildings, the cathedral, whose northern façade gives on to the square
the archbishop's palace, and the monastery of San Martin Pinario. The Azabasharia façade was built in the second half of the 18th century
in a style marking the transition from the Baroque to the Neoclassical
The building, known as San Martin Pinario, was a Benedictine monastery from the time of its foundation in the 9th century
until the advent of ecclesiastical disentailment in 1836 that forced members of religious orders
to abandon their cloisters. At a later date
the edifice was reconverted to house the council seminary of the Santiago de Compostela Archdiocese
a function that it still serves today. Spreading out as it does, over an area of 20,000 square metres
the present-day building was erected in Baroque style from the 17th to the 18th century
thus replacing the former structure that stood on this site. Music Music
The Plaza de la Quintana Square is reached along a winding lane
Transito de la Quintana, that skirts the cathedral from Plaza de la Azabacheria
Plaza de la Quintana is arranged into two levels, connected by an extremely wide flight of steps
The upper section is called Quintana de Vivos, Quintana of the Living
and the lower one, Quintana de Muertos, Quintana of the Dead. The eastern façade of the cathedral is also known as the Quintana façade
Constructed in Baroque style in the second half of the 17th century
in an attempt to give a more uniform appearance to the east end of the cathedral
which, aesthetically speaking, had suffered as a consequence of the many alterations
carried out on this part of the building between the 12th and 17th century
on contemplating this facade the attention of the observer is drawn by its two magnificent portals
the one situated nearest the flight of steps leading up from the square
is closed off by an iron grill and is adorned by 27 sculptures
this doorway leads through to a small courtyard at the far side of which
stands the world renowned Puerta Santa or Holy Door. Plaza de las Platerias, silversmith square, is lined on two of its sides by the
cathedral and is flanked on the other two by the chapter house and the Bank of Spain
the latter dating from the middle of the last century. As we enter Santiago Cathedral, we become aware of the original structure of the edifice
the exterior of which has undergone many alterations and has been extensively added to in the course of time
The original cathedral church built from 1075 to 1188 in pure Romanesque style has a Latin cross ground plan
Lying at the centre of the top arm of the Latin cross the high chapel was covered in gilt wood and ornamental stones
during the Baroque period in the second half of the 17th century
The high altar, lined with sheets of engraved silver, is presided over, as is its side grill work
by a 13th century Gothic polychrome stone sculpture of St. James the Apostle
Covering the whole of the High Chapel is a solid, sumptuous, gilt wood baldequin, supported by a series of massive angels
Regarded as a veritable masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture
this doorway was built by Master Matteo in the period spanning the years 1166 and 1188
Having been designed to serve as a porticoed entrance to the cathedral
it comprises three arches, a central one and two side ones, that correspond to the central nave and aisles
Dominating the central arch tympanum is the figure of Christ, surrounded by the four evangelists
Appearing on either side of the latter is a group of figures in prayer
representing the people of God, beneath which there are eight angels carrying the instruments of the Passion
The part of the cathedral lying to the right of the obradoira facade
belongs to the cloister itself. built in the 16th century in platteresque style
and featuring an impressive gallery on its upper level and a strange tower with a tiered roof
reminiscent of a dovecot at the southwestern corner of the building. The late Gothic cloisters are well worth a look particularly for their view of the cathedral
exterior, crawling with pagodas, pawns, domes, obelisks, battlements, scallop shells and cornucopias
The Old Church of San Martino was founded in the 12th century
and the current one dates from the 17th century. The church has an impressive platteresque facade from the late 16th century
The central part between the door and the oculus
is dominated by the Virgin, St. Benedict and St. Bernard, while the pediment crowning the front
depicts St. Martin sharing his cape with a pauper. Occupying three floors, this museum is a tribute to the Apostle St. James the Greater
and the pilgrims who come to visit his relics. The museum highlights the importance of popular devotion to St. James
and the development of the pilgrimage routes to his tomb, starting in the late Middle Ages, especially in Europe
It consists of eight rooms, in which, through images, objects and documents, the origins
of the cult of St James are explained to the visitor. The Convent of San Francisco de Valdidios
was founded by St. Francis of Assisi during his visit to Santiago de Compostela
in 1214 at the place called Val de Dios. The land was purchased from the monks of San Marino
for the symbolic annual rent of a basket of trout. The foundation, shrouded in legend
is described by an inscription on the wall of the present-day convent
according to which St Francis commissioned a coalman called Cotolay to build it
This he was able to do thanks to the miraculous discovery of a treasure
Every day of the week, there are cultural events and places open to go out in Santiago
It's common to start going out for some tapas at 8 or 9 in the evening
There are plenty of places in the new part of town, but it's the bars and taverns of the old town that are the real specialists
Visit the squares around the cathedral, where you can see improvised performances by artists, musicians and of course Latuna
traditional university serenading bands who can usually be found there. Its old town is hard to beat
The historic centre is set around the cathedral. This part of the city has the UNESCO World Heritage designation
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