Exploring España: Santiago de Compostela

One of the parts of Spain I have become increasingly interested in visiting is Galicia in the north-western corner of the country. I have actually set foot in the province once before when I briefly crossed the border from Portugal into the riverside town of Tui, but I wanted to visit Galicia proper. And having found a pretty good deal on a flight (£42/€52/US$71 rtn) to Santiago de Compostela, there was no better time than the present.

One Friday in May 2014, I got up at the crack of dawn so I could catch my 06:30 flight to Santiago de Compostela, the capital of the autonomous region of Galicia. The plane landed at 07:45 and I went outside to locate a bus to the city centre. I had to wait until 08:30 for said bus (€3/£2.50/US$4 one-way), and by the time we reached the city centre some 45 minutes later, it had started raining.


Misty hills from the corner of Praza do Obradoiro

Rain clouds over Rúa das Hortas

Galicia is known for being rather wetter than other parts of the country, so the rain was hardly unexpected. However, it made for some pretty miserable sightseeing. So, having taken a few misty shots in and around Praza do Obradoiro, I sought refuge in El Mercado de Abastos.


One of the market halls

 

 

Pig's head, anyone?

 

This fresh food market is housed in eight purpose-built halls, which were designed and built in 1941 by the Asturian architect Joaquín Vaquero Palacios (1900-1998). But while the housing is relatively new, the market itself has been running since 1873.

 

There are stalls selling meat, fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, baked goods and, of course, cheese, including the famous Galician tetilla (meaning 'small breast'), which takes its name from its unique shape. This shape is the result of a controversy caused by the statues of Daniel and Queen Esther on the cathedral's west-facing Pórtico de la Gloria.

 

Local legend has it that the bishop, scandalised by the mischievous smile on Daniel's face and the size of the queen's assets, ordered an immediate alteration (was this Spain's first breast reduction?). His wish was granted, and in protest the townspeople created the breast-shaped cheese that the region is now famous for.

 

Galicia's famous tetilla cheese

 

 

Smoked cheese



A delicatessen-type stall



Spring greens



A shoal of silver fish (assuming you can still call it a shoal when they're dead!)



Catch of the day

More seafood than you can shake a stick at!

When the sun eventually came out, I left the cover of the market and went to see the mighty Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, now standing proud against a backdrop of blue. Correctly guessing that it wouldn't last, I rushed to grab some pictures. Unfortunately, haste made me careless and my photos ended up being far less well-composed than I would have liked.

The cathedral is believed to be the burial place of St James the Great (one of the apostles of Jesus Christ) who, according to legend, brought Christianity to the Celts on the Iberian peninsula. Beheaded in Jerusalem in 44 AD, his remains were brought back to Galicia, but his tomb was abandoned in the 3rd century following Roman persecutions of Spanish Christians. Its rediscovery in 814 AD was thought to be a miracle and Alfonso II, King of Asturias and Galicia (r. 791-842) ordered the construction of a chapel on the site of the finding. This was followed in 829 by the first church, and in 899 by a pre-Romanesque church.

Construction of the present cathedral began in 1075 during the reign of Alfonso VI, King of León (r. 1065-1109) and Castile (r. 1072-1109), and it was consecrated in 1105, although it was far from complete. Now 100 metres long (330 ft) and 70 metres wide (230 ft), this huge cathedral has a Romanesque structure with later Gothic and Baroque additions. Together with the old town, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The eastern façade of the cathedral from La Praza da Quintana

 

 

Close-up of some of the stone apostles by La Porta do Perdón (the Door of Forgiveness)

 

 

The bell tower from La Praza das Praterías

 

Fuente de los Caballos

The south façade of the cathedral from La Praza das Praterías

Detail of the south façade

Having walked all around the cathedral and admired the views from every angle, I went to check out the interior. I timed my first entrance badly as La Misa del Peregrino (the Pilgrim's mass) was about to start. I actually wanted to see this, but I also wanted a good viewing point and I wasn't going to find one mere minutes before the service started so I left. The next day I came back at 11:00 and grabbed a third-row seat. The hour's wait passed quickly enough and before I knew it, midday had come and the mass started.

Now it has to be said that despite growing up in a Catholic country and attending a former convent school, I am not remotely religious. Like many others I had come for one reason and that was to see the botafumeiro, a silver-plated brass incense holder, in action. At the end of the mass, this 170lb (77kg) censer is swung back and forth pendulum-style, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake and a strong smell of incense. Unfortunately, I didn't get any decent photos, partly because picture-taking is banned and partly because the low light made it difficult to focus the camera. Still, it was amazing to see the act up close and personal.


Artistic arches

The ornate golden altarpiece

The botafumeiro in front of the altar

Leaving the cathedral

The cathedral is surrounded by four squares – Praza da Acibecharía to the north, Praza das Praterías to the south, Praza da Quintana to the east, and the west-facing Praza do Obradoiro, which I went to after the service finished. Of the four squares, this one is the biggest. And it's here that you can see the façade that's depicted on the Spanish 1, 2 and 5 cent coins. Well, almost. The image was somewhat spoiled by the ugly scaffolding and the ridiculous printed hood covering one of the towers.

Though they look similar (or would do were it not for the hood), the two towers were actually designed by different people and erected in different centuries. The tower on the right, Torre das Campás, was designed in the 17th century by José de la Peña de Toro (1614-1676) and completed by Domingo Antonio de Andrade (1639-1712), while Torre da Carraca on the left was constructed in 1738 by architect Fernando de Casas Novoa (1670-1750).

Casas Novoa was also responsible for most of the western façade, which is designed in the Galician baroque style and dates from the early 18th century. The staircases, however, were constructed in the 17th century and are connected to a much older 12th century structure known as the 'original' or 'old' cathedral.


Not quite the image on the coins

The cathedral is not the only building of interest in Praza do Obradoiro. The other three buildings are also of architectural importance. To the left of the cathedral is the former Colexio de San Xerome. Founded in 1501, the college was moved to its current location in the 17th century. The building is now home to the office of the university's vice-chancellor.


The amazing doorway

Close-up of some of the carvings

Directly opposite the cathedral is the Neo-classical Pazo de Raxoi (Raxoi's Palace), a four-storey granite building with an arched walkway running the length of the ground floor. Completed in 1766, today it's used as Santiago de Compostela's town hall.

The town hall

The arched walkway

Of particular interest is the statue of St James on top of the building. The statue commemorates his appearance at the Battle of Clavijo (844) in which he showed his support for the Spanish. Yet the Battle of Clavijo never actually happened! It was a fictional battle between the Muslims and the Christians invented centuries after the alleged event. Originally set in 834, blatant contradictions forced the story-tellers to change the date to a more realistic one. Despite the obvious holes in the story, despite the change of date and the lack of historical evidence, the legend became fact and the story survives to this day.


Statue of St James on a horse at the battle of Clavijo

The last building in the square, to the right of the cathedral, is Hostal dos Reis Católicos. Founded in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Fernando II (r. 1479-1516) and Queen Isabel I (r. 1479-1504), this former pilgrims' hostel and hospice is now a parador (a luxury hotel located in a former castle, monastery or suchlike).


The doorway

Close-up of the stone carvings

One of the crests

It wasn't just Santiago de Compostela's historic sites I was taken with. The food was amazing! I don't usually rave about food on my blog, but Galicia's offerings deserve a mention. From stews to seafood to fish dishes, I was in food heaven. At the risk of offending God-knows-how-many-people, I have to say that Madrileño cooking is not a patch on Galician cuisine. It probably helps that I am a seafood fan, but still, I loved everything I tried. I'm already planning to visit a few more places in the region, but now I'm excited about the food as well!


Merluza a la Gallega (hake with potatoes, peas and a paprika sauce)



I really enjoyed this Caldo Gallego (Galician stew made with white beans, greens, potato and fatty pork)



The absolutely delicious Pulpo a la Gallega (octopus with smoked paprika, sea salt and potatoes)

 

Rosquillas de anís (anise-flavoured Spanish donuts) from Mercado de Abastos

Even though it rained (frequently and heavily), I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Santiago de Compostela. I found it to be a very walkable city packed with historical buildings, friendly people and fabulous food. Galicia, I'll be back...