Santiago de Compostela Travel Guide

Santiago de Compostela

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City Introduction

Santiago de Compostela is a city in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of the region of Galicia and world-renowned for being the final resting place of James, one of Jesus’ disciples. The early history of the city began with the settlement of the Swabians in the 4th century. The place came under changing dominions, and for centuries the city was attacked by Moors, Vikings and others, before it was fortified in the 11th century and gained the status of Galician capital. Even then, Santiago de Compostela was known for the relics of James, and the city developed into an increasingly important pilgrimage site.

Today, Praza do Obradoiro is the center of Santiago de Compostela’s old town. It is a square where there are four significant buildings worth noticing. To the west is the Pazo de Raxoi, completed in 1766, which houses the city government and the regional administration. To the south is the Colexio de San Xerome from the 17th century, which is seat for part of the city’s university, and to the north you can see the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, which was built as a pilgrim hostel in the years 1501-1511. After being a hostel for over 400 years, the building was converted into a hotel at the behest of Francisco Franco, which it still is.

The largest and best-known structure around Praza do Obradoiro is the famous cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which is to the east. The mighty cathedral was built over what was believed to be the tomb of James the Elder. The construction lasted from 1078 to 1211 with later reconstructions, and already from the Middle Ages the church was a major place of pilgrimage. The cathedral is then also a representative example of Romanesque church buildings that were built because of the importance of relics with associated pilgrimage activities, which still exist with the Camino de Santiago leading to Santiago de Compostela. On the cathedral you can notice the beautiful baroque facade, which was built 1738-1750 in the local Churriguerra style.

There is a cathedral museum next to Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral, and in the city, you can also explore contemporary art at the Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea, housed in an interesting modern building. During a visit, you should also take a stroll in the cozy streets of the old town. It is an area included on UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage, and it is a beautiful area that you can experience when walking the streets. You can visit the monastery Mosteiro de San Martiño Pinario with a beautiful church, and immediately outside the old town stands the church Igrexa de Santa María a Real do Sar from the 12th century. In the same direction is the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia, a distinctive cultural city that forms something like soft hills in the landscape.

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In short

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Overview of Santiago de Compostela

Today, Praza do Obradoiro is the center of the old town. It is a square where there are four significant buildings worth noticing. To the west is the Pazo de Raxoi, completed in 1766, which houses the city government and the regional administration. To the south is the Colexio de San Xerome from the 17th century, which is seat for part of the city’s university, and to the north you can see the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, which was built as a pilgrim hostel in the years 1501-1511. After being a hostel for over 400 years, the building was converted into a hotel at the behest of Francisco Franco, which it still is.

The largest and best-known structure around Praza do Obradoiro is the famous cathedral of the city, which is to the east. The mighty cathedral was built over what was believed to be the tomb of James the Elder. The construction lasted from 1078 to 1211 with later reconstructions, and already from the Middle Ages the church was a major place of pilgrimage. The cathedral is then also a representative example of Romanesque church buildings that were built because of the importance of relics with associated pilgrimage activities, which still exist with the Camino de Santiago leading to Santiago de Compostela. On the cathedral you can notice the beautiful baroque facade, which was built 1738-1750 in the local Churriguerra style.

About the Santiago de Compostela travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English

About the travel guide

The Santiago de Compostela travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Spanish city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

Santiago de Compostela is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

Read more about Santiago de Compostela and the Spain

Spain Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/spain
City tourism: https://visitsan-tagiodecompostela.es
Main Page: https://www.vamados.com/

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Santiago de Compostela you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.