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60-670: It was built during the 9th century as a palace chapel for King Alfonso II of Asturias and the church of San Salvador of Oviedo. Apart from acting as royal chapel, the Holy Chamber was built to house the jewels and relics of the cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo, a function it continues to have 1200 years later. Some of these jewels were donated by the Kings Alfonso II and Alfonso III, and represent extraordinary gold artifacts of Asturian Pre-Romanesque, brought from Toledo after

120-539: A Renfe rail service. Santiago de Compostela Airport is the 2nd busiest airport in northern Spain after Bilbao Airport . The airport is located in the parish of Lavacolla, 12 km from the city center and handled 2,903,427 passengers in 2019. Santiago de Compostela railway station is linked to the Spanish High Speed Railway Network . Madrid is reached in 3 hours. Porto can also be reached in less than 5 hours changing to

180-403: A Sunday. Outside of Holy Years, the city still receives a remarkable number of pilgrims. In 2013, 215,880 people completed the pilgrimage. In 2014, there were 237,983 persons. In 2015, there were 262,513 persons and in 2016, there were 277,854 persons. Editorial Compostela owns daily newspaper El Correo Gallego , a local TV, and a radio station. Galician-language online news portal Galicia Hoxe

240-605: A kingdom and Alfonso II as king, and had also crafted close political and ecclesiastic ties. Around the place of the discovery a new settlement and centre of pilgrimage emerged, which was known to the author Usuard in 865 and which was called Compostella by the 10th century. The devotion to Saint James of Compostela was just one of many arising throughout northern Iberia during the 10th and 11th centuries, as rulers encouraged their own region-specific devotions, such as Saint Eulalia in Oviedo and Saint Aemilian in Castile. After

300-527: A military campaign. He was born in Oviedo in 759 or 760. He was put under the guardianship of his aunt Adosinda after his father's death, but one tradition relates his being put in the Monastery of San Xulián de Samos . He was the governor of the palace during the reign of Adosinda's husband Silo . On Silo's death, he was elected king by Adosinda's allies, but the magnates raised his uncle Mauregatus to

360-403: A mix of middle-aged residents and younger students maintain a lively presence until the early hours of the morning. Radiating from the centre of the city, the historic cathedral is surrounded by paved granite streets, tucked away in the old town, and separated from the newer part of the city by the largest of many parks throughout the city, Parque da Alameda . Santiago gives its name to one of

420-559: A number of related acheiropoieta images such those of the Turin and Manoppello . Alfonso II of Asturias Alfonso II of Asturias ( c.  760  – 842), nicknamed the Chaste ( Spanish : el Casto ), was the king of Asturias during two different periods: first in the year 783 and later from 791 until his death in 842. Upon his death, Nepotian , a family member of undetermined relation, attempted to usurp

480-595: A pair of oxen she allegedly had by the Pico Sacro , a local sacred mountain where a dragon dwelt, hoping that the dragon would kill the Christians, but as soon as the beast attacked the disciples, at the sight of the cross, the dragon exploded. Then the disciples marched to collect the oxen, which were actually wild bulls which the queen used to punish her enemies; but again, at the sight of the Christian's cross,

540-525: A pilgrims' hospice (now a Parador ). The Obradoiro façade of the cathedral, the best known, is depicted on the Spanish euro coins of 1 cent, 2 cents, and 5 cents (€0.01, €0.02, and €0.05). Santiago is the site of the University of Santiago de Compostela , established in the early 16th century. The main campus can be seen best from an alcove in the large municipal park in the centre of the city. Within

600-456: A square eastern sanctuary, attached to a rectangular cella . The sanctuary has a low barrel vault. Its frontal arch is carried by two marble columns of Roman origin. A pair of similar columns decorate the east window, which internally has an arch, but externally a square head with a rude brick relieving arch, just like the east window of the crypt below. Their capitals have a Corinthian style, with leaves packed into shells, relief being produced by

660-550: A very mild climate for its latitude with heavy winter rainfall courtesy of its relative proximity to the prevailing winds from Atlantic low-pressure systems . According to Richard Fletcher scholars now agree that the origin of the name Compostela comes from the Latin compositum tella , meaning a well-ordered burial ground, possibly referring to an ancient burial ground on the site of the Church of Santiago de Compostela that pre-dates

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720-508: Is also based in the city. Televisión de Galicia , the public broadcaster corporation of Galicia, has its headquarters in Santiago. During medieval times, the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage emerged as one of the most significant Christian journeys in Europe, attracting thousands of pilgrims seeking spiritual redemption and fulfillment. Believed to be the final resting place of Saint James

780-558: Is becoming increasingly diversified. New industries such as timber transformation (FINSA), the automotive industry ( UROVESA ), and telecommunications and electronics (Blusens and Televés) have been established. Banco Gallego, a banking institution owned by Novacaixagalicia , has its headquarters in downtown rúa do Hórreo . Tourism is very important thanks to the Way of St. James , particularly in Holy Compostelan Years (when

840-445: Is dedicated to St. Leocadia , containing several tombs of other martyrs . The crypt of St. Leocadia is a rectangular chamber with walls of rubble . It has a rude semicircular unbroken barrel vault, barely 80 cm high at the crown. Originally it was lighted by very narrow windows, mere loopholes, splayed internally, in the side walls, and by one large window at the east end. The Camara Santa, as its ancient parts show, consists of

900-499: Is governed by a mayor–council form of government . Following the 2023 Spanish local elections the mayor of Santiago is Goretti Sanmartín , of BNG . The population of the city in 2019 was 96,260 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area reaches 178,695. In 2010 there were 4,111 foreigners living in the city, representing 4.3% of the total population. The main nationalities are Brazilians (11%), Portuguese (8%) and Colombians (7%). By language, according to 2008 data, 21.17% of

960-487: Is set in the historic part of Santiago de Compostela. A pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela provides the narrative framework of the Luis Buñuel film La Voie lactée (The Milky Way) . A mystic pilgrimage was portrayed in the autobiography and romance The Pilgrimage ("O Diário de um Mago") of Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho , published in 1987. Santiago de Compostela is served by Santiago de Compostela Airport and

1020-583: The Atlantic and the surrounding mountains combine to give Santiago some of Spain's highest rainfall: about 1,800 millimetres (70.9 in) annually. The winters are mild, despite being far inland and at an altitude of 370 metres (1,210 ft) frosts are only common in December, January and February, with an average of just 13 days per year. Snow is uncommon, with 2-3 snowy days per year. Temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) are very exceptional. The city

1080-584: The Feast of Saint James falls on a Sunday). Following the Xunta's considerable investment and hugely successful advertising campaign for the Holy Year of 1993, the number of pilgrims completing the route has been steadily rising. More than 272,000 pilgrims made the trip during the course of the Holy Year of 2010. Following 2010, the next Holy Year will not be for another 11 years when St James feast day again falls on

1140-516: The Holy Land after preaching in Galicia. There he was beheaded, but his disciples got his body to Jaffa , where they found a marvelous stone ship which miraculously conducted them and the apostle's body to Iria Flavia , back in Galicia. There, the disciples asked the local pagan queen Loba ('She-wolf') for permission to bury the body; she, annoyed, decided to deceive them, sending them to pick

1200-593: The Iberian Peninsula and had preached there is one of a number of early traditions concerning the missionary activities and final resting places of the apostles of Jesus. Although the 1884 Bull of Pope Leo XIII Omnipotens Deus accepted the authenticity of the relics at Compostela, the Vatican remains uncommitted as to whether the relics are those of Saint James the Greater , while continuing to promote

1260-496: The adoptionist controversy , which had brought Bermudo's kingdom into Charlemagne's view. It seems that Carolingian support did much to spur his raid into Andalusian territory up to Lisbon , which was captured and sacked by his troops in 798. Also, during Alfonso's reign, the alleged resting place of St. James was revealed. Tradition relates that in 814, the body of Saint James was discovered in Compostela and that Alfonso

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1320-527: The drill , and recall an angle capital in San Julián de los Prados . On the upper floor, the Camara Santa dedicated to St. Michael , was extended in the 12th century, elongating the central section to six metres, a reconstruction that also provided it with its current decoration, a masterpiece of Spanish Romanesque . From an architectural point of view, the Holy Chamber's construction solved one of

1380-452: The Angels , Victory Cross , Agate box , Arca Santa and Sudarium of Oviedo ), brought from Jerusalem to Africa, and after several translations was finally deposited at Oviedo by Alfonso II of Asturias . It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 1998. It consists of two overlapping aisles with a barrel vault; the crypt or lower floor has a height of 2.30 metres, and

1440-488: The Apostle, the pilgrimage route traversed many countries and scenic locations. The pilgrimage not only fostered spiritual growth but also facilitated cultural exchange, as towns along the route thrived with the influx of visitors, leading to the construction of churches, and further development of the towns. This sacred journey symbolized a profound devotion to faith, enduring trials, and the hope of divine grace. A symbol of

1500-936: The Asturian government against ongoing internal unrest—— viz. , troubles in Galicia——and external attacks of the Ibn Mugait brothers, the generals Abd al-Karim and Abd al-Malik. Alfonso was acknowledged as a king by Charlemagne and the Pope , and Asturias as a kingdom for the first time in the Royal Frankish Annals . The king showed an interest in the Frankish cult of Saint Martin of Tours , and he encouraged Carolingian Church influence in Asturias. Alfonso's envoys to Charlemagne's courts may have also dealt with

1560-572: The Camino de Santiago, is one of the world's most significant and historical Christian pilgrimages. This sacred journey leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in the Galicia region of northwest Spain, where the remains of Saint James the Apostle are believed to be buried. The pilgrimage dates back to the Middle Ages and continues to draw thousands of pilgrims annually from all corners of

1620-517: The Christian building. Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctus Iacobus "Saint James ". According to folk etymology Compostela derives from the Latin : Campus Stellae ('field of the star'). According to a medieval legend, the remains of the apostle James, son of Zebedee were brought to Galicia for burial, where they were lost. Eight hundred years later

1680-539: The Pilgrimage is the scallop shell, as seen in a sculpture, depicted below, in Santo Domingo de Silos, in which Jesus is shown as a pilgrim with a satchel that is embroidered with the scallop shell. The Scallop shell comes from a legend about St. James’s arrival: he frightened a horse, scaring it into the sea, and the horse reemerged with the shell covering itself. Santiago de Compostela’s pilgrimage, known as

1740-480: The bishopric of Iria was incorporated into the Kingdom of Asturias c.  750 . At some point between 818 and 842, during the reign of Alfonso II of Asturias , bishop Theodemar of Iria (d. 847) claimed to have found some remains which were attributed to Saint James the Greater . This discovery was accepted in part because Pope Leo III and Charlemagne —who had died in 814—had acknowledged Asturias as

1800-478: The bulls calmed down, and after being subjected to a yoke they carried the apostle's body to the place where now Compostela is. The legend was again referred with minor changes by the Czech traveller Jaroslav Lev of Rožmitál , in the 15th century. The relics were said to have been later rediscovered in the 9th century by a hermit named Pelagius, who after observing strange lights in a local forest went for help after

1860-529: The cathedral, namely Fernando II and Alfonso IX , last of the Kings of León and Galicia before both kingdoms were united with the Kingdom of Castile . During this same 10th century and in the first years of the 11th century Viking raiders tried to assault the town —Galicia is known in the Nordic sagas as Jackobsland or Gallizaland —and bishop Sisenand II, who was killed in battle against them in 968, ordered

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1920-541: The centre Saint James riding a white horse and wearing a white cloak, sword in hand: The legend of the miraculous armed intervention of Saint James, disguised as a white knight to help the Christians when battling the Muslims, was a recurrent myth during the High Middle Ages. As the lowest-lying land on that stretch of coast, the city's site took on added significance. Legends supposed of Celtic origin made it

1980-525: The centre of Asturian political power moved from Oviedo to León in 910, Compostela became more politically relevant, and several kings of Galicia and of León were acclaimed by the Galician noblemen and crowned and anointed by the local bishop at the cathedral, among them Ordoño IV in 958, Bermudo II in 982, and Alfonso VII in 1111, by which time Compostela had become capital of the Kingdom of Galicia . Later, 12th-century kings were also sepulchered in

2040-573: The city—who fought for self-government—against the local bishop, the secular and jurisdictional lord of the city and of its fief, the semi-independent Terra de Santiago ("land of Saint James"). The culminating moment in this confrontation was reached in the 14th century, when the new prelate, the Frenchman Bérenger de Landore , treacherously executed the counselors of the city in his castle of A Rocha Forte ("the strong rock, castle"), after inviting them for talks. Santiago de Compostela

2100-467: The construction of a walled fortress to protect the sacred place. In 997 Compostela was assaulted and partially destroyed by Ibn Abi Aamir (known as al-Mansur), Andalusian leader accompanied in his raid by Christian lords, who all received a share of the booty. However, the Andalusian commander showed no interest in the alleged relics of St James. In response to these challenges bishop Cresconio , in

2160-456: The course of the following century a main Catholic shrine second only to Rome and Jerusalem . In the 12th century, under the impulse of bishop Diego Gelmírez , Compostela became an archbishopric, attracting a large and multinational population. Under the rule of this prelate , the townspeople rebelled, headed by the local council, beginning a secular tradition of confrontation by the people of

2220-513: The crown in place of the future Ramiro I . During his reign, which covered a span of 51 years, Alfonso discovered the supposed tomb of St. James the Great (called Santiago in Spanish) in the town of Compostela, which later became known as the city of Santiago de Compostela . He was the son of Fruela I and Munia, a Basque woman captured and brought back to Asturias by the former following

2280-527: The fall of the Visigothic kingdom. Consequently, the cathedral of Oviedo was also called Sancta Ovetensis ; owing to quantity and quality of relics contained in the Cámara Santa (English: Holy Chamber ). The Holy Chamber remains as the only sample of the early medieval complex. It was built as a relics' room to keep the different treasures associated with the Kingdom of Asturias ( Cross of

2340-462: The feats of their son Bernardo del Carpio . Bernardo is the hero of a cantar de gesta written to please the anarchical spirit of the nobles. Alfonso moved the capital from Pravia , where Silo had located it, to Oviedo , the city of his father's founding and his birth. There he constructed churches and a palace. He built the churches of San Tirso , where he is buried, and of San Julián de los Prados (aka Santullano), high above overlooking

2400-490: The four military orders of Spain: Santiago , Calatrava , Alcántara and Montesa . One of the most important economic centres in Galicia, Santiago is the seat for organisations like Association for Equal and Fair Trade Pangaea . Under the Köppen climate classification , Santiago de Compostela has a temperate oceanic climate ( Cfb ) with mild to warm and somewhat dry summers and mild, wet winters. The prevailing winds from

2460-574: The globe. Participants embark on various routes, the most popular being the Camino Francés, traversing hundreds of kilometers on foot, by bicycle, or even on horseback. The journey is not just a physical challenge but also a profound spiritual and introspective experience, offering a sense of community, personal reflection, and fulfillment. Along the way, pilgrims pass through diverse landscapes and historic towns and encounter symbols of faith and support. The legend that St. James found his way to

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2520-515: The greatest problems of Asturian Pre-Romanesque: the vaulting of two overlapping spaces, later used in the buildings of Ramiro I of Asturias . The Sudarium of Oviedo , or Shroud of Oviedo , also cloth of Oviedo , is a bloodstained cloth kept in the Arca Santa for which the chapel was built. The Sudarium (Latin for sweat cloth) is claimed to be the cloth wrapped around the head of Jesus Christ after he died. There are notable congruencies with

2580-626: The growth and development of the city. Along the western side of the Praza do Obradoiro is the elegant 18th-century Pazo de Raxoi, now the city hall. Across the square is the Pazo de Raxoi (Raxoi's Palace), the town hall, and on the right from the cathedral steps is the Hostal dos Reis Católicos , founded in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs , Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon , as

2640-583: The initial collapse of the Roman Empire . The area was later attributed to the bishopric of Iria Flavia in the 6th century, in the partition usually known as Parochiale Suevorum, ordered by King Theodemar . In 585, the settlement was annexed along with the rest of Suebi Kingdom by Leovigild as the sixth province of the Visigothic Kingdom . Possibly raided from 711 to 739 by the Arabs ,

2700-487: The light of a bright star guided a shepherd, Pelagius the Hermit , who was watching his flock at night to the burial site in Santiago de Compostela. This site was originally called Mount Libredon  [ gl ] and its physical topography leads prevalent seaborne winds to clear the cloud deck immediately overhead. The shepherd quickly reported his discovery to the bishop of Iria, Theodemir . The bishop declared that

2760-419: The local bishop, Theodemar of Iria , in the west of Galicia. The legend affirms that Theodemar was then guided to the spot by a star, drawing upon a familiar myth-element, hence "Compostela" was given an etymology as a corruption of Campus Stellae, "Field of Stars." In the 15th century, the red banner which guided the Galician armies to battle, was still preserved in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in

2820-448: The mid-11th century, fortified the entire town, building walls and defensive towers. According to some authors, by the middle years of the 11th century the site had already become a pan-European "place of peregrination", while others maintain that the devotion to Saint James was before 11-12th centuries an essentially Galician affair, supported by Asturian and Leonese kings to win over faltering Galician loyalties. Santiago would become in

2880-655: The more general benefits of pilgrimage to the site. Pope Benedict XVI undertook a ceremonial pilgrimage to the site on his visit to Spain in 2010. The 1,000-year-old pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is known in English as the Way of St. James and in Spanish as the Camino de Santiago . Over 200,000 pilgrims travel to the city each year from points all over Europe and other parts of

2940-527: The nascent city. On accession to the throne, Hisham I , son of Abd al-Rahman I , commenced a string of military campaigns in the eastern Pyrenees and to the north-west. In 794, a raid spearheaded by Abd al-Karim dealt a major military blow to Alfonso II on the eastern fringes of the Kingdom of Asturias (Cantabria and Castile). The Asturian king asked for the assistance of the Basque Frankish vassal Belasco, master of Álava and bordering regions at

3000-526: The old town there are many narrow winding streets full of historic buildings. The new town all around it has less character though some of the older parts of the new town have some big flats in them. Santiago de Compostela has a substantial nightlife. Both in the new town ( a zona nova in Galician , la zona nueva in Spanish or ensanche ) and the old town ( Galician : a zona vella , Spanish : la zona vieja , trade-branded as zona monumental ),

3060-759: The place where the souls of the dead gathered to follow the sun across the sea. Those unworthy of going to the Land of the Dead haunted Galicia as the Santa Compaña or Estadea . Santiago de Compostela is featured prominently in the 1988 historical fiction novel Sharpe's Rifles , by Bernard Cornwell , which takes place during the French Invasion of Galicia, January 1809, during the Napoleonic Wars. The music video for Una Cerveza , by Ráfaga ,

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3120-517: The population always speak in Galician , 15% always speak in Spanish, 31% mostly in Galician and the 32.17% mostly in Spanish. According to a Xunta de Galicia 2010 study the 38.5% of the city primary and secondary education students had Galician as their mother tongue . The area of Santiago de Compostela was a Roman cemetery by the 4th century and was occupied by the Suebi in the early 5th century, when they settled in Galicia and Portugal during

3180-493: The province of A Coruña , is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia , in northwestern Spain . The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great , now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela , as the destination of the Way of St. James , a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century. In 1985, the city's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Santiago de Compostela has

3240-465: The remains were those of the apostle James and immediately notified King Alfonso II in Oviedo . To honour St. James, the cathedral was built on the spot where his remains were said to have been found. The legend , which included numerous miraculous events, enabled the Catholic faithful to bolster support for their stronghold in northern Spain during the Christian crusades against the Moors, but also led to

3300-526: The throne instead. Alfonso fled to Álava where he found shelter with his maternal relatives. Mauregatus was succeeded by Bermudo I , Alfonso's cousin, who abdicated after his defeat at the Battle of the Burbia River . Alfonso was subsequently elected king on 14 September 791. Poets of a later generation invented the story of the secret marriage between his sister Ximena and Sancho, count of Saldana, and

3360-426: The time. Abd al-Karim advanced deeper west into Asturias and pillaged the region, while his brother Abd al-Malik ventured into the western Asturian lands. Under pressure from his enemies, Alfonso II reached out to Charlemagne , sending delegations to Toulouse and Aix-la-Chapelle in 796, 797, and 798. These diplomatic efforts, proffered by Froia and later Basiliscus, may have aimed to strengthen his legitimacy and

3420-609: The world. The pilgrimage has been the subject of many books, television programmes, and films, notably Brian Sewell 's The Naked Pilgrim produced for the British television channel Channel 5 and the Martin Sheen / Emilio Estevez collaboration The Way . According to a tradition that can be traced back at least to the 12th century, when it was recorded in the Codex Calixtinus , Saint James decided to return to

3480-585: Was captured and sacked by the French during the Napoleonic Wars ; as a result, the remains attributed to the apostle were lost for near a century, hidden inside a cist in the crypts of the cathedral of the city. The excavations conducted in the cathedral during the 19th and 20th centuries uncovered a Roman cella memoriae or martyrium , around which grew a small cemetery in Roman and Suevi times which

3540-406: Was later abandoned. This martyrium , which proves the existence of an old Christian holy place , has been sometimes attributed to Priscillian , although without further proof. Santiago's economy, although still heavily dependent on public administration (i.e. being the headquarters of the autonomous government of Galicia), cultural tourism, industry, and higher education through its university ,

3600-541: Was the first pilgrim to the shrine at Libredón . In 825, he defeated Saracen forces at Narón (near Ferrol ) and also in year 825 Anceo (in the hills equidistant from Pontevedra and Vigo ), and, thanks to these victories, the "repopulation" of parts of Galicia , León , and Castile was started— with charters confirming the possession of the territories. The Crónica Sebastianense records his death in 842, saying: Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela , simply Santiago , or Compostela , in

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