Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
| Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela | |
|---|---|
The Western façade of the cathedral as seen from the Praza do Obradoiro.
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°52′50″N 8°32′40″W / 42.880602°N 8.544377°WCoordinates: 42°52′50″N 8°32′40″W / 42.880602°N 8.544377°W |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Santiago de Compostela |
| Country | Spain |
| Heritage designation | 1896, 1985 |
| Leadership | Archbishop Julián Barrio Barrio |
| Website | www.catedraldesantiago.es |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 1060 |
| Completed | 1211 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Capacity | 1,200 |
| Length | 100 metres (330 ft) |
| Width | 70 metres (230 ft) |
| Height (max) | 75 metres (246 ft) |
| Spire(s) | 2 |
| Official name: Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) | |
| Criteria | i, ii, vi |
| Designated | 1985 |
| Reference no. | 320bis |
| Official name: Catedral Igrexa Catedral Metropolitana | |
| Designated | 22 August 1896 |
| Reference no. | (R.I.) - 51 - 0000072 - 00000 |
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Galician: Catedral de Santiago de Compostela) is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela, and is an integral component of the Santiago de Compostela World Heritage Site in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The cathedral has historically been a place of pilgrimage on the Way of St. James since the Early Middle Ages, and marks the traditional end of the pilgrimage route. The building is a Romanesque structure, with later Gothic and Baroque additions.
According to legend, the apostle Saint James the Great brought Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula. In 44 AD, he was beheaded in Jerusalem. His remains were later brought back to Galicia, Spain. Following Roman persecutions of Spanish Christians, his tomb was abandoned in the 3rd century. According to legend, this tomb was rediscovered in 814 AD by the hermit Pelagius, after he witnessed strange lights in the night sky. Bishop Theodomirus of Iria recognized this as a miracle and informed king Alfonso II of Asturias and Galicia (791–842). The king ordered the construction of a chapel on the site. Legend has it that the king was the first pilgrim to this shrine. This was followed by the first church in 829 AD and then in 899 AD by a pre-Romanesque church, ordered by king Alfonso III of León, which caused the gradual development of the major place of pilgrimage.
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