We
ate the breakfast buffet (5€ each) at Hospedería
San Martín Pinario: cereal, yogurts; toast with ham and cheese; coffee/hot
chocolate; grapes, apple, plum. During breakfast, we met our two friends from
Colorado.
8:53 AM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martín
Pinario – breakfast room; an old refectory with steps up to raised place for a
monk to read aloud during meals.
9:24 AM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martín
Pinario – our two friends from Colorado in breakfast room.
9:30 AM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martín
Pinario – long hallway from reception (near breakfast room) toward front
entrance.
MT Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:18 AM – Santiago: Hospedería San Martín
Pinario – old tympanum over interior door near front entrance.
The ancient Monastery of San Martín Pinario (San Martiño Pinario) on the Plaza
de la Inmaculada faces the Azabachería (northern) façade of the Cathedral, just
a few meters away. It was founded by a group of Benedictines who, shortly after
the discovery of the remains of St. James, settled in a place called Pignario,
near the chapel of Corticela (now part of the Cathedral and accessed through
the Azabachería door), where they held their services. The name Pignario comes
from pines that were in this place where the monks founded their first chapel
in the 11th century. The main developments took place after 1494, when it came
under the Benedictine congregation of Valladolid. After that, the wealth they
accumulated enabled them to undertake the impressive construction of the
church, which, along with the Cathedral, is the most valuable building of
Galicia’s Baroque style.
Construction of the monastery began
in the last third of the 16th century and ended two centuries later, at the end
of the 18th. It is of simple design, except for the imposing façade, which is
reached by means of a large stairway. The façade is divided into three parts,
with a central section bordered by two four-story walls. The five-section tower
helps to break the monotony of the façade. The doorway, framed by several Doric
columns, houses an image of St. Benedict and is crowned by a structure that
includes the Spanish coat of arms among scallops and the figure of St. Martin
of Tours (added in 1738). It served as a monastery until the mid-19th century.
It now houses the Seminario Mayor (Major Seminary) of the Archdiocese of
Santiago, of the Instituto Teológico Compostelano (Technological Institute of
Compostela), the School of Social Work of the University of Santiago, and the
Diocesan Archive. Part of its facilities are dedicated to university halls of
residence and various administrative offices of the Church, in addition to the
Hospedería San Martín Pinario.
4:07 PM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martín
Pinario – front exterior, façade.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:48 AM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martín
Pinario – front exterior, façade center.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:49 AM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martín
Pinario – statue of St. Martin de Tours (cutting his cloak to give half to a
beggar) atop front exterior, façade center (telephoto, 360 mm).
9:33 AM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martín
Pinario – front exterior (façade), left side (where we entered for Hospedería) and
center.
9:34 AM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martín
Pinario – front exterior (façade); different angle of left side and center; Gandhi
living statue in front of center door.
9:35 AM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martín
Pinario – Gandhi living statue (Don took long telephoto, 360 mm, to avoid being
asked for money to take photos).
9:35 AM – Santiago: Monasterio San Martín
Pinario – “Gandhi” putting away money from tourists (telephoto, 360 mm).
On
the way back to Pensión Estrela (or later to Pensión Girasol), our landmark for
where to turn the corner was a liquor store with a carved sign of a witch
minding her caldron.
9:36 AM – Santiago: carved sign with witch and
caldron over door of liquor store “O Ficandón - Vinoteca.”
After
making that turn, we entered the Praza (Plazuela) de San Martiño Pinario and
passed the façade of the Igrexa de San
Martiño Pinario.
The Igrexa de San Martiño Pinario [Church
of San Martín Pinario] was designed in 1590 by Mateo López, the most
prominent monastic architect of Santiago at the end of the 16th century;
construction of the church continued until 1620. It has a magnificent ribbed
dome and an attractive Plateresque façade above the door facing east. The
central part, between the door and the oculus, is dominated by images of the
Virgin, St. Benedict, and St. Bernard, while the pediment crowning the front
depicts St. Martin sharing his cape with a pauper. The towers are only as high
as the façade, because the Cathedral’s chapter, which was afraid that the view
of the basilica would be blocked. In order to overcome the difference in ground
level, the Benedictines built the beautiful stairway leading to the door, which
is undoubtedly inspired by the one leading to the Cathedral’s Obradoiro façade.
Inside, the ribs of the barrel vaults are disguised as false coffers. An outstanding
feature of the inside is the magnificent Baroque high altarpiece. The church
now houses a museum.
10:13 AM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Martiño
Pinario east façade (now a museum); a bit of cathedral tower with scaffolding
is behind on left.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:23 AM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Martiño
Pinario east façade.
9:38 AM – Santiago: Igrexa de San Martiño
Pinario east façade; building on right with Pensión Estrela (tower between is
of Convento de San Francisco).
Then
we went back to Pensión Estrela and moved our backpacks to (2-star) Pensión Girasol, but it was too early
to get into our room there. We got sellos: “Hostal Girasol.”
10:12 AM – Santiago: Pensión Girasol –
exterior.
We
went briefly to the Cathedral around 10:30, passing its north side on the way
to Praza de Obradoiro, but did not go in. We decided to shop for souvenirs and
look for restaurants with menús for that evening—in the area south of the
Cathedral.
Viewed from the Praza da Inmaculada (aka Plaza Azabacheria), in front of Monasterio
San Martín Pinario, the Cathedral’s Azabachería
(northern) façade can be seen. Although small in elevation, this façade is
almost as decorative as the main one. It combines both Baroque and Neoclassical
design in a totally over-the-top display of religious architecture at its best.
The original wall was 12th-century and Romanesque, but the one seen today is
from 1757 and displays heraldry, a statue of the Apostle James, plus impressive
columns and projections that give a 3-dimensional quality. This door, A Acibecheria, referred to in the
13th-century Codex Calixtinus as Puerta Francigena, is where pilgrims
following the traditional path entered the cathedral. Currently, however, many
pilgrims choose to prolong their arrival by going down a slope and passing
through the Arco del Obispo
[Bishop’s Arch] of the Pazo do Xelmírez (Palacio de Gelmírez) into the Praza do
Obradoiro (Plaza del Obradoiro) and enter from the spectacular Baroque façade
there.
In the Middle Ages, the Praza da
Inmaculada (aka Plaza Azabacheria) housed the Paradise Door, which gave access
to the Archbishop’s residence and the Monastery of San Martín Pinario.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:49 AM – Santiago: Cathedral – north façade,
with the cathedral’s clock tower, the Torre de la Trinidad, of the E side on
left; Cathedral dome in rear center; and main (W) façade tower covered with
scaffolding on the right.
10:25 AM – Santiago: Cathedral – north
façade, with the cathedral’s clock tower, the Torre de la Trinidad, of the E
side on left; Cathedral dome partly hidden; and both towers of main (W) façade
covered with scaffolding on the right.
MT 10:26 AM – Santiago:
Cathedral – MT with E clock tower and north façade.
MT 10:27 AM – Santiago: Cathedral – MT with E
clock tower and north façade; and bit of stone wall before steps down from
Praza de Inmaculada.
In the Praza do Obradoiro, on the
north side of the square, is also the 15th-century Hostal de los Reyes Católicas [Hostal of the Catholic Monarchs],
which is regarded as one of the oldest hotels not only in Spain but the whole
world. The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella had visited Santiago in
1486 and had seen the need for better healthcare for residents and pilgrims.
They founded a pilgrim hospital in 1492 and commissioned the construction of
the current building in 1501; its construction began in the same year. It was
erected in harmony with the late Gothic style and the beginning of the Renaissance.
The altarpiece-like façade features Plateresque
ornamentation depicting, from bottom to top, the figures of Adam, St. Catherine,
and St. John the Baptist on the left and those of Eve, St. Lucy, and Mary
Magdalene on the right. The figures of the 12 apostles are aligned along the
frieze of the doorway, structured like a Roman triumphal arch. On the scallops
above the arch are medallions with the busts of Isabella and Ferdinand. Two
large shields bearing the coat of arms of Castile border the façade, a symbol
of the monarchy’s power standing up against the church and the archbishop’s
palace. In front of the façade is a strong chain from the 16th century,
supported by meticulously carved pillars delimiting the hospital’s property.
On the inside, surrounding the
Gothic chapel, there are four cloister-like courtyards; the two front ones date
from the 16th century and the back ones from the 17th century.
The Royal pilgrim hospital was
gradually extended to meet the city’s healthcare needs until 1954, when it was
converted into a very grand National Parador
hotel. If you have your compostela
certificate and are one of the first 10 pilgrims to show up there, you can get
a free meal (breakfast at 9 am, lunch at noon, dinner at 7 pm) within 3 days
after your arrival. This is a continuation of the tradition of hospitality to
pilgrims going back to its origins as a pilgrim hospital. However, pilgrims do
not get to eat in the parador’s fine dining rooms, but rather in a separate
pilgrims’ dining room down in the basement by the kitchen, and the times are
not the normal Spanish mealtimes. (Since we had been lucky enough to get a free
dinner in 2013, we decided not to try again.)
For more information on the
Catholic Monarchs, see Appendix A of this blog.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:53 AM – Santiago: Praza de Obradoiro – Pazo
de Raxoi (left); Parador Hostal de los Reyes Católicos façade; part of Pazo de
Xelmírez wing of Cathedral complex (right).
10:29 AM – Santiago: Parador Hostal de los
Reyes Católicos facade.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:54 AM – Santiago: Parador Hostal de los
Reyes Católicos entrance.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:55 AM – Santiago: Parador Hostal de los
Reyes Católicos - Santiago Peregrino statue at top left over door.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:55 AM – Santiago: Parador Hostal de los
Reyes Católicos - coat of arms to right of door.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:55 AM – Santiago: Parador Hostal de los
Reyes Católicos - different coat of arms to left of door (the 4 castles and 2
lions may be related to Castilla y León).
The west side of the Praza do
Obradoiro, directly opposite the west façade of the Cathedral, was finally
closed in the 18th century by the Pazo
de Raxoi (aka Palacio de Rajoy), with its long Neoclassical façade and
elegant arcade. It was ordered built by another Archbishop of Santiago,
Bartolomé Raxoi y Losada (1690-1772, archbishop 1751-1772) in 1766, although
construction was delayed due to a dispute with the Concello (City Council).
The site on which the palace now
stands was formerly occupied by civil and ecclesiastical prisons and over a
stretch of the wall that defended the city to the west. The dual ownership of
the buildings had led to disagreements between the Archbishop and the Concello.
The Concello introduced a bill in 1764 with the idea of settling the City Hall
between the two prisons. Meanwhile, Archbishop Raxoi had in mind to establish
there a seminary for confessors (who administered penance to pilgrims) and also
a residence for the boys of the cathedral choir. The dispute between the
co-owners also attracted a third interested party, the Royal Hospital whose
grounds abutted the property. In 1767, with the intervention of the
Captain-General of Galicia and the Royal Chamber, a compromise was reached,
which accommodated all the proposed civil and ecclesiastical uses. The palace
constructed between 1767 and 1787 (mostly 1767-1772) would be used as a
seminary for confessors and a residence for the boys of the cathedral, as well
as a civil and ecclesiastical prison.
The facade is almost 90 m long,
with a long porticoed loggia in the
French style, based on Italian models, consisting of 25 arcades with 50
openings between the columns. The façade is topped by an attic adorned with a
large balustrade. In the center of the façade is a triangular pediment with a
marble relief representing the Battle of Clavijo, crowned by an equestrian
statue of Santiago Matamoros. On the left and right ends of the façade are two
other curved pediments bearing the Raxoi coat of arms.
The building is now used as the ayuntamiento (city hall) and also houses
the main council offices (Galicia’s provincial parliament building), the office
of the provincial president, and offices of some of the local government
departments of the Xunta de Galicia. Until well into the 20th century, it
continued to serve as a residence for the cathedral’s canons.
The back side of the building is
different, due to the abrupt drop of the terrain and the proximity of the
Igrexa de San Fructuoso. The lower level, below the height of the Praza do
Obradoiro, was destined to house the prisons (it now houses the police station,
the municipal jail, and public restrooms).
10:29 AM – Santiago: Pazo de Raxoi – façade
(in morning sun).
10:29 AM – Santiago: Pazo de Raxoi –
Santiago Matamoros statue and frieze of Battle of Clavijo atop center of façade
(in morning sun, 76-mm telephoto).
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:53 AM – Santiago: Pazo de Raxoi – Santiago Matamoros statue (360-mm telephoto, in morning sun).
10:30 AM – Santiago: Pazo de Raxoi –
Santiago Matamoros statue (360-mm telephoto, in morning sun).
On
the south side of Praza de Obradoiro are two old buildings related to the
University of Santiago: Colexio de
Fonseca and Colexio de San Xerome.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:51 AM – Santiago: Praza do Obradoiro – view
across plaza to its south side: part of Cathedral west façade on left; Colexio
de Fonseca tower on left corner to Rúa Franco; Colexio de Xerome facing square;
Pazo de Raxoi on the right (on west side).
The 16th-century Colexio de Fonseca (Colegio de Fonseca aka Pazo de Fonseca) at Rúa do Franco, 3,
on Praza de Fonseca, was commissioned by Archbishop Alonso III de Fonseca,
converting the house of his influential family (built 1522-1544) for
educational purposes. It began to function in 1544 and was later used to house
the University of Compostela. Its Renaissance façade (finished in 1688) consists
of two Plateresque bodies (sections) with Gothic statues in between the columns
and in niches in the frieze. Statues in the first body represent Santiago Alfeo
and the Virgin Mary. (The original name of the building was Colexio de Santiago
Alfeo, named after James the Lesser, son of Alfpheus). In the middle of the
frieze separating the building’s two sections, the Fonseca coat of arms with
five stars stands out, surrounded by images of the Doctors of the Church. This
building is attached to the Colexio de San Xerome.
Santiago: Colexio de
Fonseca façade (es.wikipedia.org).
Making up the 4th (south) side of
Praza del Obradoiro is the gable end of the 17th-century Colexio de San Xerome (aka Colegio
de San Jerónimo) [College of St. Jerome]. The college was originally
located in the Hospicio de la Azabachería and was formerly called “Estudio
Vello” (Old Study), established by Archbishop Alfonso III de Fonseca for poor college
students and artists, near the Convent of San Martiño. (It was also called
Colexio de Artistas.) When the monks of San Martiño Pinario bought in order to
extend the convent, this new building was built in Praza do Obradoiro in 1652.
The Romanesque-Gothic front portico of the old school in the Azabachería
pilgrim hospital (dated between 1490 and 1500) was erected at the entrance. The
tympanum is dominated by the Blessed Virgin with the Baby Jesus, flanked by
Santa Margarita and Santa Catarina. In the center of the archivolt is the figure
of St. Ann holding the Virgin holding the Child, surrounded by figures of saints.
Above the portico, there is the coat of arms of the founder, Archbishop
Fonseca. The figures in the jambs depict St. Francis of Assisi, St. John the
Evangelist, and St. James (Santiago) on the left and St. Peter, St. Paul, and
St. Dominic (Santo Domingo de la Calzada) on the right. (Other sources identify
the third figure at right not as Santo Domingo, but rather as San Mauro [St.
Maurus, 512-584], whose normal attributes are a crutch; weighing scale; young
man in garb of a monk, holding an abbot’s cross and a spade.) The building
presently houses the University of Santiago de Compostela’s Vice-Chancellor’s (Rector’s)
Office.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 951 AM (Cropped) - Santiago: Colexio de San
Xerome.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:52 AM – Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome –
door with Virgin in tympanum and Fonseca coat of arms above it.
Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome – tympanum (the Blessed Virgin with the Baby
Jesus in center, flanked by Santa Margarita and Santa Catarina) and archivolt
(St. Ann holding the Virgin holding the Child in center, surrounded by figures
of saints) (pt.wikipedia.org).
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:52 AM – Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome –
Santiago statue on jamb to left of door.
Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome - left jamb: St. Francis of Assisi, St. John
the Evangelist, and St. James (Santiago) (gl.wikipedia.org).
Santiago: Colexio de San Xerome - right jamb: St. Peter, St. Paul, and St.
Dominic (Santo Domingo de la Calzada) (gl.wikipedia.org).
We
continued down Rúa Franco, south of
the cathedral, looking for a good restaurant where we could later eat lunch. We
passed the “Carpe Diem” Restaurante
-Tapería El Puerto (at Rúa Franco No. 48), where we had eaten lunch last year
in the restaurant upstairs.
10:52 AM – Santiago: “Carpe Diem”
Restaurante-Tapería El Puerto (at Rúa Franco No. 48).
10:52 AM – Santiago: “Carpe Diem”
Restaurante-Tapería El Puerto – pictures of menu items on door (including the pulpo Don ate there last year).
Farther
down the street, we found Bar-Restaurante
Ribadavia (Rúa Franco, No. 16), where we would come back for the menu in
the evening.
11:04 AM – Santiago: Bar-Restaurante
Ribadavia (Rúa Franco, No. 16), with menus outside and MT inside doorway.
11:04 AM – Santiago: Bar-Restaurante
Ribadavia - 10€ menu posted outside.
11:04 AM – Santiago: view down Rúa Franco
away from Cathedral.
MT 11:04 AM - Santiago: wine corks on
counter of bar in Rúa Franco.
MT 11:06 AM - Santiago: whole pulpo (octopus) on display in store
window in Rúa Franco.
11:10 AM – Santiago: Santiago statues in
window of shop in Rúa Franco where MT bought “tea towel” souvenirs.
11:12 AM – Santiago: close-up of Santiago
Matamoros statue ([mis]labeled “Santiago Apostol” on its base) among other
Santiago statues in window of shop in Rúa Franco.
11:11 AM – Santiago: numerous Santiago
Peregrino statues (some labeled “Sant Yago”) in window of shop in Rúa Franco.
11:12 AM – Santiago: more Santiago statues
in window of shop in Rúa Franco where MT bought “tea towel” souvenirs.
Then
we went to the Cathedral at 11:30
for the noon pilgrim mass, entering through the south door. We approached the
Cathedral from the small Praza das
Praterías.
The Praza das Praterías, aka Plaza de las Platerías (Silversmiths
Square) on the cathedral’s south side. A pair of cathedral façades can be seen
from this square. The other part of the cathedral visible from the Praterías
square is part of the cloister. Occupying the arches underneath the cloister
since the Middle Ages are the workshops of silversmiths (prateros) that give the square its name.
The Praza das Platerías contains
a splendid fountain featuring horses’ heads, the Casa del Deán (seat of the
Pilgrim Office), and the entrance to Rúa Vilar. In this square is the only
Romanesque portico of the cathedral opening onto the exterior, and the
left-hand doorjamb bears the date of its construction: 1103.
In the lower part of the exterior
wall of the cloister are the shops where silversmiths and makers of objects in azabache (jet)—typical of Santiago—carry
on a thriving trade. In past times, some of them made religious objects for the
cathedral and for sale under license from the cathedral chapter (cabildo).
11:20 AM – Santiago: Cathedral south façade
and clock tower, Torre de la Trinidad.
At
11:30, the Cathedral was already
packed, but we found one seat for MT (and later people let us squeeze Don into
that pew) in the north transept to the left of the main altar. We had a very
good view of the botafumeiro (giant
incense burner) that is swung across the transepts at the end of the pilgrim
mass.
Every day at noon, there is a
pilgrims’ Mass. The ceremony sometimes culminates in the swinging of the botafumeiro [literally, smoke
belcher], a massive silver incense burner said to be the largest in the
Catholic world. (The only larger one is in Oldenburg, Germany.) It takes six to
eight men in a team called a tiraboleiros
to pull the ropes that propel the massive silver apparatus high into the
vaulted transepts and get it swinging across the cathedral. This was originally
used to fumigate the sweaty (and possibly disease-ridden) pilgrims.
The first botafumeiro appeared here in the 13th century. It was replaced by
another one presented by King Louis XI of France. Unfortunately, this silver botafumeiro was stolen by Napoleon’s
troops when they looted the cathedral during the Peninsular War and disappeared
without any trace. The next botafumeiro
was an iron copy of the previous one. The current botafumeiro dates from 1851, made of silver-plated brass.
The botafumeiro is 1.6 m (5 ft) tall and weight 62 kg (136 lbs), It is
filled with about 40 kg (88 lbs) of coals and incense, making the total weight
over 100 kg (224 lbs). It hangs from a rope that is 65 m (213 ft) long and 5 cm
in diameter. When swinging in an arc of 65 m (213 ft) across the transept
between the north door of the Azabachería and the south door of the
Silversmiths, it can reach a speed of 68 km/hr (42.25 mph). After 17 round
trips, it can reach a height of 21 m (68 ft) an angle of 82°.
During Mass, the best place to
sit is on either side of the main altar, so that the botafumeiro seems to skim the top of your head before it swings
back to the roof of the cathedral.
Because of the complicated and
manpower-intensive ritual, this became an infrequent event during the pilgrim
mass. (In 2013, we had heard that someone had to pay 400€ for them to do it and
that it was good to attend the mass when a large group of Japanese tourists
would pay for it.) It was always swung on St. James’s Day (July 25) and other
special feast days. In 2004, the seating capacity was permanently extended from
700 to 1,000.
11:27 AM – Santiago Cathedral: before
pilgrim mass; botafumeiro (visible
against the top of the right-hand of 2 illuminated arches of the opposite
transept) hanging in front of main altar, with rope up to pulley in dome and
then tied to a column at right.
MT 11:29 AM – Santiago
Cathedral: crucifixion sculpture on wall of north transept, near our seats.
The
priests were in red vestments, including 4 concelebrating priests from the
United States; we received communion from Fr. James Kauffmann, whom we had met
earlier. At the end of the mass, the main celebrant started the incense in the botafumeiro.
12:48 PM – Santiago Cathedral: at end of
mass, priest (in red) starting incense in botafumeiro.
12:48 PM – Santiago Cathedral: one of the
dark-red-robed tiraboleiros starting
the swinging of the botafumeiro.
12:48 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro starting to swing back
toward us; tiraboleiros pulling on rope.
12:48 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro swinging higher toward us.
12:49 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro almost over us.
12:49 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro directly over us (we only
see its bottom).
12:49 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro swinging away into the
opposite transept; here we can see the tiraboleiros
pulling on the rope in unison.
12:49 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro almost out of sight, back
over our heads (good view of pulley in dome).
12:49 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro swinging back over opposite
transept.
12:49 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro swinging higher over
opposite transept (there were workmen walking past the upper arches, who
sometimes stopped to watch the botafumeiro).
12:51 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro in motion and smoke as it
swung toward us (telephoto, 220 mm). Don's favorite photo of botafumeiro.
12:51 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro slowing down (telephoto, 360
mm).
12:53 PM – Santiago Cathedral: tiraboleiros catching the botafumeiro at the end (telephoto, 360
mm).
12:56 PM – Santiago Cathedral: botafumeiro hanging after mass (close-up
and telephoto, 307 mm).
After
mass, which lasted a little less than 1 hour including the botafumeiro, we looked around in the Cathedral a bit before
leaving.
MT 12:56 PM – Santiago Cathedral: cathedral
guard (in yellow vest) and one of the tiraboleiros
at gate into main altar area (where there seemed to be reserved seating,
including one lady in a white jacket who presented some papers [written
prayers?] to the priest at the end of mass).
12:56 PM – Santiago Cathedral: statue of
Zebedee (father of St. James) on column just to left of main altar.
3:57 PM – Santiago Cathedral: statue of
Zebedee (father of St. James) from different angle, with better view of scroll;
the name on the plaque on the base is obliterated, but has “Zebedeo” painted in
one corner.
3:51 PM – Santiago Cathedral: statue of
Salome (mother of St. James) on column just to right side of main altar; her
scroll says “Sta. Salóme”; the name on the plaque below this statue is
obliterated, but “Salome” is painted on its frame.
We
exited the Cathedral through the south door into the Praza das Praterías (see also description above).
3:41 PM – Santiago Cathedral: Praza das
Praterías with Fuente de los Caballos; steps up to south façade, and clock
tower (Torre de la Trinidad).
The Cathedral’s southern face
claims the oldest ancestry of the building. The Fachada de las Praterías (Façade of the Silversmiths) was built
between 1103 and 1117, with sections purportedly dating back to the 11th
century (1078).
Some of the statues on this
façade were cobbled together from other parts of the Cathedral, including a
series of statuettes from the choir of Maestro Mateo that were placed there in
1884 and other Romanesque figures from the so-called Puerta del Paraíso [Door
of Paradise] on the cathedral’s north side. The other part of the cathedral
visible from the Praterías square is part of the cloister. Occupying the arches
underneath the exterior wall of the cloister since the Middle Ages are the
workshops of silversmiths (prateros)
that give the square its name.
MT 3:46 PM – Santiago Cathedral: Don and MT selfie with clock tower
(Torre de la Trinidad).
The cathedral’s clock tower, the Torre de la Trinidad (aka Torre de la
Berenguela [after Archbishop Berenguel (or Berenguer) de Landoria, who
continued its construction in the 14th century] or Torre del Reloj [Clock
Tower]), can also be seen from this point. It is located at the intersection of
Praza das Praterías and Praza da Quintana. It is said that construction of the
tower began in 1316, as a defensive watchtower, although that date is not
certain. When Berenguel de Landoria became Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela
in 1317, it took him 11 months to get to Santiago to take over his post; he
tried to enter the town four times, the first three of which were rejected by
ambushes; when he finally gained access to the cathedral in 1318, he continued
the construction of the watchtower begun by his predecessor, a robust cubo (round tower) with battlements at
the top whose height was no greater than the present-day position of the clock.
Its construction continued between 1676 and 1680, adding on top of the original
Gothic cubo two bodies (floors) of
decreasing size (decorated with vegetable forms and Jacobean motifs related to
the Camino): an initial square section perforated with porticos and, above it,
an octagonal section crowned by a pyramid and a lantern (now replaced by four
incandescent lamps) that guided pilgrims to the cathedral. Thus, it reached a
height of 75 m (246 ft). In 1833, a clock was added, with four faces (one on
each side) flanked by domed turrets. A unique characteristic of the clock is
that it has only a single hand, marking the hours. The clock has two bells; the
larger one, called Berenguela, chimes on the hours, and the smaller marks the
quarter hours. Both original bells were cast in 1729, but, due to cracking,
both were replaced by replicas in 1990. The originals are displayed in the
cathedral’s cloister.
3:47 PM – Santiago Cathedral: south door,
Puerta das Praterías.
Up the steep flight of steps from
the Praza das Praterías is the magnificent Romanesque southern door of the
Cathedral, known as the Puerta das
Praterías (Silversmith’s Door) because it led out to the Praza das
Praterías lined with silversmith shops. It is the oldest extant doorway of the
cathedral and the only Romanesque portico opening to the exterior. The
left-hand doorjamb bears the date of its construction: 1103. In the 18th
century, several figures from the Romanesque north Fachada del Paraíso [Façade
of Paradise] (demolished and replaced by the current Façade of the Azabachería)
and were placed on this façade. The incorporation of Romanesque figures from
the cathedral’s north entrance created a surprising ensemble due to its
abundance—and disorder.
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta
das Praterías (es.wikipedia.org).
The double doors of the portico
are surrounded by 11 columns, 5 around
the left door (3 on its left and 2 on its right), 5 around the right door (2 on
its left and 3 on its right), and the 11th between the two doors. These
columns, 3 of white marble (the central and the two extremes) and the others of
granite, are carved with beautiful images of flowers, men, birds, and animals.
At the top of the central column are two fierce lions, with rumps against each
other, forming spandrels between the arches of the two doors. (There are two
other lions, on the buttresses to the left and right of the doors.) Also in the
spandrels of the arches, there are four angels with trumpets announcing the Day
of Judgment.
3:47 PM (Cropped) - Santiago Cathedral:
Puerta des Praterías - frieze - figures above central column.
The frieze above the double portal is an example of the odd
combinations resulting from the incorporation of Romanesque figures from the cathedral’s
north entrance. It features a combination of apostles, angels, zodiac signs,
and depictions of Sin, such as the mermaid and the centaur. The center is
occupied by a stylized Christ with a crown on his head, his right hand raised
in blessing, and a book in his left hand. To his left is St. James (Santiago),
between two cypress trees (one missing its top half), the biblical symbol of
fidelity. Historians point out that this iconographical preference for St.
James comes from the political and ecclesiastical interests of Archbishop Diego
Gelmírez in the cathedral’s relationship with Toledo and Rome. St. James has a
halo inscribed with “IACOB ZEBEDEI”; he holds a book inscribed “PAX
VOBIS[CUM].”
3:47 PM (Cropped) - Santiago Cathedral:
Puerta das Praterías – frieze above left door, with figures above central
column.
To the left of Santiago in the
frieze is his brother San Juan (St. John), then the Virgin and Child, then four
apostles, with St. Peter holding the keys in his hands. Below the apostles is a
centaur (a symbol of sin), and at the far left is a scene from the expulsion of
Adam and Eve from Paradise, and other figures.
Santiago Cathedral:
Puerta das Praterías – far left of frieze - expulsion of Adam and Eve (www.flickr.com
at https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2888/9696339647_dfe215e13f_b.jpg).
3:47 PM (Cropped) - Santiago Cathedral:
Puerta das Praterías – frieze above right door, with figures above central
column.
To the right of Christ in the
frieze is a group of six (unidentified), then San Andrés (St. Andrew), then the
Virgin and Child, and then other figures, including a small figure of a
mermaid.
Below the Christ of the frieze is
a medallion of God the Eternal Father (others see this as the Transfiguration
or possibly Abraham coming out of the tomb [from a passage in Luke relating to
Lazarus]) with open hands and surrounded by two of the angels playing horns.
Below that is an unidentified figure (some see this as Moses depicted, as
Michelangelo would centuries later, with horns) and then a crismón (monogram of Christ, consisting of the Greek letters X
[chi] and P [rho], the first two letters of Χριστός [Khristós]) resting on the two
lions supported by the central column.
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta
das Praterías - tympanum of left door (commons.wikimedia.org).
The tympanum of the left door depicts the Temptation of Christ by a
group of demons. Indeed, before the Lord winged creatures (angels) appear as
horrible monsters that place him on the pinnacle of the temple; others are
urging him to turn stones into bread, while others show him the kingdoms of the
world. But there are other, white angels, representing good, behind and above
him, worshiping with censers.
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta
das Praterías - Adulterous woman (es.wikipedia.org).
To the far right of the left
tympanum is a half-naked woman holding a skull in her lap. (Since the time of
the Codex Calixtinus, this figure has
been identified as the adulterous woman holding the head of her lover that was
cut off by her husband; however, other sources say it represents Eve, mother of
sinners; another theory is that this is Mary Magdalene, a repentant sinful
woman.)
3:47 PM (Cropped) - Santiago Cathedral: Puerta
das Praterías - right tympanum.
The tympanum on the right features scenes from the Epiphany to the
Passion of Christ. A strip at the top shows the Virgin Mary with her Son in
Bethlehem and the three kings who visit them, and a star and angel above them
that appears to be warning them not to return to King Herod. Below that is a
strip with several scenes from the Passion of Christ: on the left is generally
thought to be Pilate sitting on his throne as judge (other sources believe that
seated figure to be Christ at the moment a soldier is placing the crown of
thorns on his head); next is the Flagellation, with Christ being scourged at a
pillar; and on the right is the betrayal by Judas. At the lower left of the
right tympanum is the scene of Christ anointing the eyes of the blind man with
his saliva. Again, some figures from the Door of Paradise are cobbled into this
tympanum, some at strange angles.
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta das Praterías - right
tympanum – flagellation (www.flickr.com at https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3810/10272473933_b4c3552529_b.jpg).
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta das Praterías - right
tympanum –betrayal by Judas (www.flickr.com at https://www.flickr.com/photos/adfinem/10250806434).
In one jamb
is an inscription commemorating the laying of the foundation stone: “ERA / IC /
XVI / V IDUS / Jullii” [11 July 1078]. The left
jamb (buttress) has figures of Christ, the creation of Adam, and King
David. Here Christ is again shown blessing with his right hand and holding a
book (the Book of Life) in his left. Also on left jamb is the creation
of Adam, showing the naked Adam being touched by God. This parallels the
creation of Eve shown on the right jamb.
The figure of King David shows
him sitting on his throne with his legs crossed, translucent through the thin
fabric of his clothes, and playing a viola.
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta das Praterías - King David on left buttress (www.flickr.com at https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3885/14484390328_a3d4772970_b.jpg).
On the right jamb is the creation
of Eve, above the figure of the Pantocrator (Christ in His Majesty), and
possibly Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac.
Many of these figures, too, come
from the ruined Door of Paradise on the Fachada del Paraíso.
This year, the Praza das Praterías had some extra decorations: large statues of ugly, fat, naked men on the balconies of buildings (except the Cathedral).
3:42 PM - Santiago: MT in Praza des
Praterías with Fuente de los Caballos fountain in center and naked men statues
on balconies; to right behind the fountain is the historic Casa do Cabildo; MT
in foreground.
The Casa do Cabildo [house of the cathedral chapter], on the south side
of the square, is a beautiful building constructed between 1754 and 1758. This
building is unique within the city’s urban fabric and is considered one of the
largest and best known examples of Compostelan Baroque in Galicia, along with
the Obradoiro Façade (its architect was a disciple of the one who designed that
façade). The Cabildo lost the property in 1855 with the confiscation of Church
property by Pascual Madoz. It passed through various hands until the building
was expropriated by the Consortium de Santiago in 2008 as part of a program to
rehabilitate monuments. Combined with the property of the Antiguo Banco de
España [Old Bank of Spain] at Rúa da Raiña
1, it now houses the Museo Nacional de la Peregrinaciones y de Santiago [National
Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago].
3:42 PM. – Santiago: Praza das Praterías –
Fuente de los Caballos and Casa do Cabildo.
The centerpiece of the Praza das
Praterías is the Fuente de los Caballos
[Fountain of the Horses] with an ornate statue in the Compostelan Baroque style
from 1825. It consists of four horses leaping out of the water with water
pouring out of their mouths. Above them is a pedestal with the Arca Marmórica (tomb
of Santiago) surmounted by a female figure with raised arms holding the star of
Compostela.
3:44 PM. – Santiago: Praza das Praterías –
Fuente de los Caballos (in better sun) and Casa do Cabildo.
Then,
around 3:45, we went back into the Cathedral,
again through the south door. (The CSJ guidebook advised: “To avoid the large
coach parties that tour the Cathedral, arrive early or visit late in the day.”)
3:48 PM – Santiago Cathedral: baptismal
font and paschal candle (near south door).
In
the south nave was the entrance to the stairs by which pilgrims can climb up to
embrace the statue of Santiago on the main altar from behind.
3:52 PM – Santiago Cathedral: entrance to
stairs to embrace Santiago behind main altar; sign: “Abrazo al Apóstol – Abrazo
ao Apóstolo – Embrace the Apostle” has symbols for no photos or cell phones.
3:52 PM – Santiago Cathedral: entrance to
stairs to embrace Santiago behind main altar; other side of sign: “No Fotos –
No Photo; Silencio por Favor – Silence Please.”
To get to the high altar,
pilgrims must use a door in the south nave. This door has its own traffic
light. If the light is red, you must wait because another pilgrim or tourist is
still speaking to the Apostle. When it is green, you can enter and go up the
steps to the statue. You exit through another door into the north nave, where
there is always a red light to keep people from entering there.
3:53 PM – Santiago Cathedral: view of exit
from embracing Santiago; a pilgrim at the top is getting ready to come down
from behind the statue of Santiago.
In
the ambulatory behind the main altar is a stained glass window of Santiago
seated on a throne. This window is directly above the Holy Door (see below).
3:54 PM – Santiago Cathedral: stained glass
window of Santiago in ambulatory behind main altar; the gold medallion below
the window is directly over the Holy Door.
3:55 PM – Santiago Cathedral: stained glass
window of Santiago in ambulatory behind main altar (telephoto, 64 mm).
Below the main altar, a crypt constructed in the foundations of
the 9th-century church holds the remains of St. James (which went missing from
1589 to 1879) and two of his disciples, St. Theodore and St. Athanasius.
The tomb of Santiago was first
discovered in the 9th century, enclosed in a stone mausoleum on this ancient
necropolis. In the 12th century, Archbishop Gelmírez had the original Roman
pantheon blocked off. Santiago’s bones were hidden several times over the centuries
to keep them away from thieves and kings who wanted the relics for themselves. In
1589, for example, the relics were hidden to prevent Sir Francis Drake from
stealing them and taking them to England; in the end, Drake did not even reach
Compostela. However, the bones were so well hidden that their exact location
was forgotten, but pilgrims continued to venerate an urn on the altar that was
believed to hold the saint’s bones. Archeological excavations under the church in
1879 unearthed some bones, said to be those of Santiago when the discoverer
went temporarily blind. Pope Leo XIII verified their validity a few years
later, and the remains now rest in a silver coffin below the altar.
Beneath the altar of the
cathedral, one can see the pedrón
(large stone) that gives its name to the locality of Padrón, which is
traditionally said to be the site where the body of St. James came to land,
brought by his disciples from Palestine. It would seem that this is either a
stone altar or a marker stone indicating the commencement of the Via Antonia. It is popularly and piously
believed that the stone boat in which the remains of St. James were transported
was tied to it on coming ashore—as the text below the altar indicates.
3:56 PM – Santiago Cathedral: entrance to
the crypt; sign over door: “Sepulcrum Sancti Iacobi Gloriosum”; the green light
by the “Entrada” [entrance] sign indicates it is OK to enter.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 3:05 PM – Santiago Cathedral: tomb of St.
James in crypt (there was no sign about not taking photos here); MT kneeling in
foreground.
Then,
around 4 pm, we went around the outside of the Cathedral to see the one façade
we had not visited yet: the eastern side on Praza da Quintana (Plaza de la Quintana).
4:03 PM – Santiago Cathedral: Praza da
Quintana – clock tower (Torre de la Trinidad) of S side; another small door to
left of Puerta Santa; beginning of projection with Puerta Santa on right.
This eastern façade, on the Praza da Quintana, was built during the 17th
century in a distinctly Baroque style. One of its entrances is quite
magnificent, with no less than 27 carved likenesses around it. The 3 at its
head are of the Apostle St. James, directly above the door, flanked by 2 of his
disciples (St. Theodore and St. Athanasius), all dressed as pilgrims. To either
side of the door are 2 collective blocks, each 2 characters wide by 3
characters high; a total of 24 seated statues of apostles, patriarchs and
prophets. All 24 were originally from the 12th-century Romanesque choir
constructed by Master Mateo (creator of the Portico de Gloria), which occupied
the center of the cathedral for many years but was dismantled in the 17th
century. During the construction of the Baroque portico, 6 of these figures
were added on each side of the door in 1611, and the other 12 were added in
1660. The figures of Santiago and his 2 disciples were added around 1694. The
iron gate was added in 1744.
Passing through this iron-barred opening
leads to the Puerta Santa (Holy Door,
Porta Santa in Gallego), sometimes referred to as El Perdón or Puerta del
Perdón (Door of Pardon), which is reached via a small courtyard and is only
opened during a holy year. (Any year when St. James’ feast day, July 25, falls
on a Sunday is declared as a holy one, known as a Xacobeo (Jacobean) year. The last
was in 2010, and the next was supposed to be in 2021. However, due to the
Jubilee of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, the door was opened again on
December 13, 2015 so that pilgrims may enter it during an Extraordinary Holy
Year that will end November 20, 2016.) The privilege of holding a Holy Year was
granted by Pope Calixtus II in 1119 and confirmed with a papal bull by Pope Alexander
III in 1179. This meant that Santiago de Compostela was equal in status to Rome
and Jerusalem.
However, the door used today by walkers
is not the original Holy Door (probably built in the first half of the 16th
century, although the tradition might date back to the 11th-century Romanesque
church that was replaced by the cathedral). The original door was situated to
the east and leading directly to the altar, and symbolized the end of the
pilgrimage and the entry to redemption and to a new life. When the Capilla del
Salvador (Chapel of the Savior) was built, the Holy Door lost its iconic role by
being relocated several degrees to the right. Between 1611 and 1616, the
Baroque portico was added on the outside. Through the current door, there is
access to a small patio. In there, the original construction leading to the
ambulatory of the apse of the cathedral can be found, very close to the tomb of
the Apostle.
The Holy Door is dedicated to St. Paio,
whose monastery is situated directly opposite. In the Codex Calixtinus, it was
still called Puerta de San Payo, and for a long time, it was known as Porta da
Quintán.
4:04 PM – Santiago Cathedral: Praza da
Quintana – barred door leading to Puerta Santa (Holy Door); 12 figures on each
side of door and what looked like 3 statues of Santiago above it.
4:03 PM – Santiago Cathedral: Praza da
Quintana – above the Holy Door entrance - large statue of Santiago Peregrino in
center flanked by what looked like 2 smaller Santiago statues (Internet said
these were 2 of his disciples, Athanasius and Theodore).
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta Santa - statues left of door
(www.flickr.com at https://www.flickr.com/photos/29971729@N08/3829324215).
The current Holy Door inside the
cathedral is in the ambulatory behind the main altar. The bronze door, dating
from 2004, is made up of 6 reliefs with images from the life of Santiago. It is
directly below the stained glass window of Santiago (see above). The two
statues, of the prophet Ezekiel and the apostle Jude, flanking the door are
from the 12th-century choir of Master Mateo.
Santiago Cathedral: Puerta Santa with star on floor of ambulatory showing original
position (es.wikipedia.org).
Just
after 4 pm, we headed back to Pensión
Girasol to wash clothes and hang them to dry. MT had the young lady
downstairs call for a reservation at A de Lolo – Hotel de Encanto in Muxía.
MT 4:07PM – Santiago:
poster “Sin Dolor No Hay Gloria” (without Pain, No Glory) on street somewhere
between Monasterio San Martín Pinario and Pensión Girasol.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:45 AM – Santiago: Pensión Girasol -
exterior.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:30 AM – Santiago: Pensión Girasol - our room
(No. 202).
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 9:30 AM – Santiago: Pensión Girasol - our
room (No. 202).
Around
5 pm, we took a practice walk to the bus station, where MT would have to go for
the bus to Muxía the next day, after Don started walking there.
5:02 PM – Santiago: Bronze statue of
Santiago in traffic circle near bus station.
6:16 PM – Santiago: Pensión Girasol – Don’s
Keen shoes showing even more wear on the heels, but they seemed good enough to
go on to Muxía.
7:00 PM – Santiago: store window; we bought
one of the orellas (ears) (0.75€) and
shared it with 2 American priests (Fr. James Kauffmann from Richmond, VA and
his friend from Williamsburg, VA) we met just outside that store.
For
dinner, we ate the 10€ menu at Bar-Restaurante
Ribadavia, which we had found earlier on Rúa Franco: 1st course: [?]; 2nd
course: MT bistec de ternera Galego con
patatas fritas y ensalada [veal
steak with fried (substituted by cocidos
[boiled]?) potatoes and salad]/Don merluza
Galega con patatas cocidos y ensalada; desert [?]; bottle of red wine;
bread. We met a South African couple at the table next to ours; they now live in
Portugal. We got sellos: “Restaurante Ribadavia.”
7:50 PM – Santiago: Bar-Restaurante
Ribadavia – Don’s merluza Galega con
patatas cocidas y ensalada.
8:28 PM – Santiago: Bar-Restaurante
Ribadavia – MT with S. African couple at next table.
After
dinner, we went to look for a classical
music concert the people at the Oficina de Turismo had told us about,
supposedly in Praza de Obradoiro. We met the 2 Colombian ladies again, but never did find the concert on any of
the 4 plazas around the Cathedral; we even tried Plaza Cervantes, where someone
else said it was. All we found were two men singing opera in the tunnel of Arco
del Obispo [Bishop’s Arch] near the cathedral. (The next day, we found out the
concert had been inside the Cathedral and had been wonderful.)
8:41 PM – Santiago: Praza de Obradoiro – MT
with 2 Colombian ladies.
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