Santiago de Compostela
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Santiago de Compostela (2002 pop. 93,273) named the European City of Culture for the year 2000, is located in the north west region of Spain in the province of A CoruÃÂña. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia.
One etymology for "Compostela" (or "Campostela"; in Latin "campus stellae") is "field of stars", so he is sometimes called "St. James of the Field of Stars".
The site
Santiago is only a few miles inland from the most westward coast of mainland Europe facing the Atlantic, so prior to Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492, it was considered the edge of the known world, the Finis Terrae in Latin, Finisterre in Spanish and Fisterra in Galician (See also French FinistÃÂére and Land's End). Also, as the lowest-lying land on that stretch of coast, it took on added significance. Legends supposed of Celt origin made it the place were 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 CompaÃÂña.
The prevailing wind from the Atlantic and the surrounding mountains combine to give Santiago some of Europe's highest rainfall: about 66 inches annually.
The relics
"Santiago" ("Sant' Iago") means "St. James", and the city is supposedly the final resting place of Jesus's Apostle St. James the Great, the brother of John. His remains are said to be under the altar in the crypt of the cathedral. Another theory has that the actual remains in the crypt belong to Priscillian, a Spanish heresiarch.The belief that St James had preached in Spain was certainly current before AD. 400. The relics of the saint were said, though the tradition cannot be traced back farther than to the 12th century, to have been discovered in 835 by Theodomir, bishop of Iria, who was guided to the spot by a star. Hence Compostela is regarded by some authorities as a corruption of Campus Stellae, Plain of the Star; others derive it from San Jacome Aposlol. According to the legend a chapel was forthwith erected, and the bishopric was transferred thither by a special bull of Pope Leo III. A more substantial building was begun in 868, but was totally destroyed in 997 by the Moors, who, however, respected the sacred relics. On the reconquest of the city by Bermudo III. the roads were improved, and pilgrims began to flock to the shrine, which fast grew in reputation.
Since the 11th century, Santiago has been the ideal ending spot for a Pilgrimage. People from Western Europe would walk St. James's Way for months to arrive finally at the great church in the main square to pay homage, and many pilgrims have laid their hands on the pillar just inside the doorway to rest their weary bones. So many, in fact, that a groove has been worn in the stone. So numerous were the pilgrims that the popular Spanish name for the Milky Way is El Camino de Santiago. The Galician government hopes to make the Way into a powerful tourism spot. For the Holy Compostellan Year (whenever July 25 is a Sunday), the Xacobeo campaign is reinforced.
The cathedral
At the front of the baroque cathedral, a golden mollusc shell adorns the altar. A steady stream of pilgrims still queue there to kiss the shell, as another sign of homage. The cathedral preserves its original barrel-vaulted cruciform Romanesque interior. Perhaps the chief beauty of the cathedral, however, is the 12th-century Portico de la Gloria, behind the Late Baroque facade. The shafts, tympana and archivolts of the three doorways which open onto the nave and aisles are a mass of strong and nervous sculpture representing the Last Judgment. Faint traces of color remain. The cathedral's facade gains from forming part of an extended architectural composition on the Plaza Mayor, a grand square surrounded by public buildings. The ground rises to the cathedral, which is reached by a magnificent quadruple flight of steps, flanked by statues of David and Solomon. Access to the staircase is through some fine wrought-iron gates, and in the centre, on the level of the Plaza, is the entrance to a Romanesque chapel, the Iglesia Baja ("Lower Church"), constructed under the portico and contemporary with the cathedral. To the north and south, and in a line with the west front, are dependent buildings of the 18th century, grouping well with it. Those to the south contain a light and elegant arcade to the upper windows, and serve as a screen to the late Gothic cloisters, built in 1533 by Fonseca, afterwards archbishop of Toledo. They are said to be the largest in Spain. The north side of the cathedral is in the rich Spanish Baroque style called Churrigueresque.
In the cathedral's Capilla del Relicario ("Chapel of the Reliquary") are a gold crucifix, dated 874, containing a piece of the True Cross.
The city
The cathedral fronts on the main Plaza of the old and well-preserved city. Across the square is the Galician parliament building and, on the right from the cathedral steps is a hotel. The Obradoiro faÃÂçade 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 also has a fine university which can be seen best from an alcove in the large municipal park in the centre of the city. The University ensures youth night life. Within 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 apartments in them.
Santiago gives its name to one of the four military orders of Spain: Compostela, Calatrava, Alcantara and Montesa.