Religion

In the IX century, bishop Teodomiro of Iria Flavia identifies a Roman shrine as apostle Saint James’ tomb. Due to this discovery, King Alfonso II the Chaste orders the edification of a modest temple around this pagan construction. The increase in pilgrimages and a certain degree of stability after Arab attacks lead to a new construction that started in the year 1075, during Alfonso VI’s reign and under the direction of Archbishop Diego de Peláez. Thus begins the building of the Romanesque cathedral that continues during Diego Gelmírez’s time as Archbishop, and that won’t stop until becoming the great temple that can be seen today.
The cathedral is built in granite ashlar with slab roofs in the same material. Romanesque construction with a Latin cross ground plan, longitudinal arm and a three-nave transept, an ambulatory in the chevet and a tribune that runs along the entire perimeter; there are also lateral chapels that are orderly positioned along the entire temple and possess an space with their own individuality, only remaining from the Romanesque time some from the ambulatory.
Lateral naves covered with edged vaults, a central nave with a stilted barrel vault and supported by transverse ribs and a quarter barrel triforium. The Acibechería façade is Neoclassical (Ventura Rodríguez and Lois Monteagudo). The Praterías façade is Romanesque and a paradigm of medieval iconography. The Puerta Santa (Holy Door), Baroque (1611), is only opened on holy years. The Obradoiro façade (Fernando de Casas Novoa, 1738-1750) is a combination of stone and glass, with the large window in the central part as a highlight, among the largest prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Walking down San Pedro Street, following the path that leads the French Way pilgrims to Porta do Camiño in the opposite direction, we find this neoclassical church from the XVIII century. It maintains some remainders from the primitive construction of the old monastery of San Pedro de Fóra, from the XII century, upon which the new brickwork was built.
Remains of burials were discovered in its atrium, very probably from monks and pilgrims from the XII to the XV centuries buried in the old Benedictine monastery, which provided hostelry services to the apostle’s devotees, far before the Catholic Monarchs’ Inn was built.
Inside the temple stand out the sculptures of Ferreiro.

Classist Baroque temple built in 1795. It has a latin cross ground plan and a granite façade with prominent ornamental elements such as a bell tower. Baroque and classist altarpieces, as well as the figure of the Virgin of Peregrina, stand out inside.

Church of Romanesque origin from the XII century, rebuilt in 1753. It’s located at the base of Mount Pedroso. It’s a simple chapel, with a rectangular apse, granite stone blocks façade and covered in wood. Inside an image of the Virgin of Socorro stands out.
The chapel is associated to San Francisco’s visit to Santiago in 1214. According to tradition, the saint lodged around this area in the house of the coal merchant, Cotolay, whom he entrusted with the foundation of the monastery of San Francisco in Valdedeus.

Simple and beautiful church of the 20th century with its corresponding cemetery presided over by a small carballeira (oak grove) and pretty close to the Tambre river. A good place to take a break surrounded by spirituality.