Whether you’ve travelled the Way or not, our route now brings us to the Galician capital, Santiago de Compostela, a Christian pilgrims’ destination since the 9th century.
From as far afield as the Baltic or the North Sea, thousands of pilgrims came on foot to the shrine of St James in Galicia, carrying their symbolic scallop shells along all the roads leading to Santiago, veritable paths of faith. To this we must add the fact that during the Romanesque and Baroque periods the shrine at Santiago de Compostela had a decisive influence on the evolution of architecture not just in Galicia, but throughout the whole of the north of the Iberian Peninsula
Before stepping inside the cathedral, the ideal thing to do is to stroll through the narrow streets of the Old Town, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and colloquially referred to as “the almond“. The Rúa do Franco, with its characteristic restaurants, or the Rúa do Vilar, with its porticos, will lead you to the cathedral itself. When you get there, take the time to visit the Praza do Obradoiro and take a good look around you: the Pazo de Raxoi, home to the City Council; the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, now a state-owned Parador; the colexio de San Xerome, home to the University Vice-Chancellor’s Office and the Cathedral combine to constitute an unparalleled framework that makes you feel small in comparison with such splendid old buildings. The strains of a bagpipe in the background, coming from under the archway leading to the Pazo de Xelmírez, will further enrich the experience (if such a thing is possible), so keep an ear out for the music!
