SPAIN: THE CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA AND THE CATHEDRAL MUSEUM

 June 29-30, 2022

As noted in the previous post, the current Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was built in Romanesque style in the 13th century, with Gothic and Baroque additions in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. It is a massive structure, and no doubt gets its notoriety from being the reputed burial spot of St. James (aka Santiago) the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. However, it is a magnificent edifice of its own accord.

By the way, the only other churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle are St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Chennai, India, and the Basilica of St. John in Izmir, Turkey.

A sign of the importance of this cathedral is that it was visited THREE TIMES in a span of 28 years by two different popes--Pope John Paul II in 1982 and 1989 and Pope Benedict in 2010.

The interior of this cathedral is about 310 feet long, has a transept that measures 206 feet, and stands 72 feet high, making it the tallest building in Europe when it was built. Today it is still the largest Romanesque cathedral in Spain. At first glance it looks rather austere.

But then you see the main altar, and the closer you get, the more opulent it is.

PORTUGAL TO SPAIN: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA - THE CATHEDRAL PLAZA AND THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

 June 29-30, 2022

We left Porto around 9:00 AM and headed north to the Spanish border and Santiago de Compostela on the other side, a 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hour drive.  The scenery was really stunning--hills became mountains, and forests and farmlands were dotted with homes and towns.

I made Bob stop so I could photograph the profusion of colorful wild flowers. I also liked the sign for those on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail recommending the use of reflecting material: "See and be seen."