Santiago de Compostela Car Hire
During the Middle Ages, it is estimated that anywhere from 500,000 to 2,000,000 visitors a year poured into this city in north-western Spain. They arrived from all over Europe from as far away as Scandinavia and Britain, from Italy, Germany, and France. Many who came were guided en route by what is considered to be the world's first travel guidebook, written in 1130 by Aymeric Picaud, a French monk.
Though they may have set out alone, they eventually became duos, trios, bands, and masses traveling together across the continent, and the exposure to other cultures fostered by this movement of peoples eventually had enormous influence on medieval thought, art, and architecture.
Santiago became an object of pilgrimage in 813, when the supposed grave of St. James (Santiago is a Spanish form of the name), one of the 12 apostles, was discovered by a hermit, said to have been led to the spot by a bright shining star. (Some say Compostela derives from Campus Stellae, meaning field of the star, while other etymologists say it has little to do with the saint at all, and simply comes from the same Latin word from which compost is derived.) Though the saint was beheaded in Jerusalem, the myth holds that somehow his head was reattached and his body transported by stone ship to Galicia and interred in a field.
A church erected over the site to protect the sacred remains eventually grew into one of the most splendid cathedrals in the world. As its fame spread throughout Europe, Santiago became, along with Jerusalem and Rome, one of Christendom's three holiest cities.
The convenient discovery of the relics served as a badlyneeded unifying force for European Christians, and in particular for their embattled brethren of northern Spain, who, thus inspired, redoubled their efforts to throw out the Moors.
Stories of the Reconquista (Reconquest) are filled with accounts of Christian warriors who claimed they were spurred to victory by visions of Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moorslayer) striking down the infidels with his lightning-fast sword (some New World conquistadores later claimed similar visions while slaughtering Indians). While most scholars are doubtful that James ever really made it to Iberia, dead or alive, the belief in his presence did have a tremendous influence on Spanish history. With the proclamation of this miraculous discovery, Christian Spain found its patron saint.
The Camino de Santiago Spain
The famous Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), the pilgrims' route to Santiago, is one of the world's oldest tour routes, marked by the churches, monasteries, hospitals, and hospices (the hotels of the day) set up to accommodate the faithful as they traveled toward their destination. The route remained heavily traveled until 1589, when Sir Francis Drake attacked the Galician naval port of A Coruna . The Bishop of Santiago de Compostela removed the relics to the church for safekeeping and they subsequently disappeared; the pilgrimages ceased untIl the relics were rediscovered in 1879.
Today, pilgrims and the city still honor the saint, and in Jubilee years when his feast day of July 25 falls on a Sunday.Beyond the cathedral, the city's main attraction, the narrow streets of Santiago's zona vell (old quarter) offer an appealing collection of smaller churches, monastenes, and convents, as well as bars, shops, and old merchant houses. The city is also the site of the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, one of Spain's earliest and most important, which gives it the flavor of a modern university town, with tiny pubs, Celtic music, and non-stop conversations. When its inhabitants empty into the streets to discuss the affairs of the world in galego, the local language (akin to Portuguese), it seems that life in the Galician capital hasn't changed much at all.
Special places to visit in Santiago de Compostela
The main commercial streets - Rua do Franco, Rua do Vilar, and Rua Novaradiate from the right front of the cathedral and are exquisite examples of medieval thoroughfares, lined with opulent houses with elegantly sculpted facades and intricate ironwork. Behind the cathedral are the historic streets that for centuries led pilgrims - many on their knees - into Santiago at the completion of their long journey. A few blocks behind the cathedral, in the Plaza de Abastos, is the bustling town market-place, packed with fish, meat, fruit, and vegetable stands, open every morning except Sundays.
St James Cathedral Santiago de Compostela
The culmination point of one of the world's primary pilgrimages, the cathedral was built on the site of an oman graveyard and the foundations of a basilica built by Alfonso II in the 9th century to house the supposed remains of St. James. All but St. James's tomb were destroyed by the Moors in 997. The present structure was begun around 1075, and was largely completed in the 13th century. The saint's relics are buried under the high altar.
The cathedral is basically a Baroque shell around a Romanesque interior. Its western side, known as the Obradoiro (Goldwork) facade, is considered among the most beautiful cathedral facades in the Christian world. Facing the Praza do Obradoiro and towering above a broad flight of steps, the Obradoiro, completed in 1750, is a Baroque masterpiece of decorative flourishes and merging curves and lines.
Facing south onto Praza das Praterfas (also known, in Spanish, as Plaza de las Platerfas) is the cathedral's famous Porta das Praterlas (Silversmiths' Door), a 12thcentury Romanesque work. The Porta Santa (Holy Door), also known as the Porta do Perdon (Door of Forgiveness), open only in Jubilee years, faces east onto Praza da Quintana and dates from 1611. The north facade, facing Praza da Acibecherfa, also called Praza da Inmaculada, contains the Porta da Acibecheria (Jet Door, as in the form of coal used for jewelry).
Illuminated exclusively by candles and occasional shafts of sunlight, the cathedral's interior is a magnificent world of Romanesque opulence and hushed reverence. Just inside the Obradoiro entrance is the Portico da Grona (Gate of Glory), essentially an older, Romanesque facade within the Baroque one. Carved by the renowned sculptor Master Mateo between 1168 and 1188, the Portico da Groria was part of the original Romanesque cathedral.
A sculptural masterpiece, it has three arched doorways and more than 200 carved figures. The central column of the main doorway, carved as a Tree of Jesse, rises to a figure of the seated St. James. It is customary for pilgrims to touch the marble pillar upon their safe arrival, and after centuries, five smooth finger holes have been worn into the marble. At the base of the pillar, kneeling and facing the high altar, is a sculpted selfportrait of Master Mateo. Many pilgrims tap their head against his, hoping to receive Some of his genius.
Above on the central arch are the 24 old men of the Apocalypse surrounding Christ; they hold instruments, the central one of which is a Galician zanfona (hurdygurdy), found only in Celtic regions of the world. The left arch bears a grouping of statues of the imprisoned tribes of Israel, and Adam and Eve on either side of Christ. The Last Judgement is depicted on the right arch.
The high altar is a dazzling creation in silver and gold backed by another statue of St. James. The altar is built atop the crypt of St. James, and the faithful can climb down the stairs to pay their respects. Many pilgrims also climb up behind the altar to embrace the statue and kiss the saint's mantle. The cathedral museum contains ecclesiastic items such as the bota fumeiro (a giant incense burner swung over the congregation by five me during important services), a collection of tapestries depicting everyday Iif in the Middle Ages, and archaeological artifacts. The portico off the museum offers excellent views of the town and of the Plaza do Obradoiro.
Though they may have set out alone, they eventually became duos, trios, bands, and masses traveling together across the continent, and the exposure to other cultures fostered by this movement of peoples eventually had enormous influence on medieval thought, art, and architecture.
Santiago became an object of pilgrimage in 813, when the supposed grave of St. James (Santiago is a Spanish form of the name), one of the 12 apostles, was discovered by a hermit, said to have been led to the spot by a bright shining star. (Some say Compostela derives from Campus Stellae, meaning field of the star, while other etymologists say it has little to do with the saint at all, and simply comes from the same Latin word from which compost is derived.) Though the saint was beheaded in Jerusalem, the myth holds that somehow his head was reattached and his body transported by stone ship to Galicia and interred in a field.
A church erected over the site to protect the sacred remains eventually grew into one of the most splendid cathedrals in the world. As its fame spread throughout Europe, Santiago became, along with Jerusalem and Rome, one of Christendom's three holiest cities.
The convenient discovery of the relics served as a badlyneeded unifying force for European Christians, and in particular for their embattled brethren of northern Spain, who, thus inspired, redoubled their efforts to throw out the Moors.
Stories of the Reconquista (Reconquest) are filled with accounts of Christian warriors who claimed they were spurred to victory by visions of Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moorslayer) striking down the infidels with his lightning-fast sword (some New World conquistadores later claimed similar visions while slaughtering Indians). While most scholars are doubtful that James ever really made it to Iberia, dead or alive, the belief in his presence did have a tremendous influence on Spanish history. With the proclamation of this miraculous discovery, Christian Spain found its patron saint.
The Camino de Santiago Spain
The famous Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), the pilgrims' route to Santiago, is one of the world's oldest tour routes, marked by the churches, monasteries, hospitals, and hospices (the hotels of the day) set up to accommodate the faithful as they traveled toward their destination. The route remained heavily traveled until 1589, when Sir Francis Drake attacked the Galician naval port of A Coruna . The Bishop of Santiago de Compostela removed the relics to the church for safekeeping and they subsequently disappeared; the pilgrimages ceased untIl the relics were rediscovered in 1879.
Today, pilgrims and the city still honor the saint, and in Jubilee years when his feast day of July 25 falls on a Sunday.Beyond the cathedral, the city's main attraction, the narrow streets of Santiago's zona vell (old quarter) offer an appealing collection of smaller churches, monastenes, and convents, as well as bars, shops, and old merchant houses. The city is also the site of the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, one of Spain's earliest and most important, which gives it the flavor of a modern university town, with tiny pubs, Celtic music, and non-stop conversations. When its inhabitants empty into the streets to discuss the affairs of the world in galego, the local language (akin to Portuguese), it seems that life in the Galician capital hasn't changed much at all.
Special places to visit in Santiago de Compostela
The main commercial streets - Rua do Franco, Rua do Vilar, and Rua Novaradiate from the right front of the cathedral and are exquisite examples of medieval thoroughfares, lined with opulent houses with elegantly sculpted facades and intricate ironwork. Behind the cathedral are the historic streets that for centuries led pilgrims - many on their knees - into Santiago at the completion of their long journey. A few blocks behind the cathedral, in the Plaza de Abastos, is the bustling town market-place, packed with fish, meat, fruit, and vegetable stands, open every morning except Sundays.
St James Cathedral Santiago de Compostela
The culmination point of one of the world's primary pilgrimages, the cathedral was built on the site of an oman graveyard and the foundations of a basilica built by Alfonso II in the 9th century to house the supposed remains of St. James. All but St. James's tomb were destroyed by the Moors in 997. The present structure was begun around 1075, and was largely completed in the 13th century. The saint's relics are buried under the high altar.
The cathedral is basically a Baroque shell around a Romanesque interior. Its western side, known as the Obradoiro (Goldwork) facade, is considered among the most beautiful cathedral facades in the Christian world. Facing the Praza do Obradoiro and towering above a broad flight of steps, the Obradoiro, completed in 1750, is a Baroque masterpiece of decorative flourishes and merging curves and lines.
Facing south onto Praza das Praterfas (also known, in Spanish, as Plaza de las Platerfas) is the cathedral's famous Porta das Praterlas (Silversmiths' Door), a 12thcentury Romanesque work. The Porta Santa (Holy Door), also known as the Porta do Perdon (Door of Forgiveness), open only in Jubilee years, faces east onto Praza da Quintana and dates from 1611. The north facade, facing Praza da Acibecherfa, also called Praza da Inmaculada, contains the Porta da Acibecheria (Jet Door, as in the form of coal used for jewelry).
Illuminated exclusively by candles and occasional shafts of sunlight, the cathedral's interior is a magnificent world of Romanesque opulence and hushed reverence. Just inside the Obradoiro entrance is the Portico da Grona (Gate of Glory), essentially an older, Romanesque facade within the Baroque one. Carved by the renowned sculptor Master Mateo between 1168 and 1188, the Portico da Groria was part of the original Romanesque cathedral.
A sculptural masterpiece, it has three arched doorways and more than 200 carved figures. The central column of the main doorway, carved as a Tree of Jesse, rises to a figure of the seated St. James. It is customary for pilgrims to touch the marble pillar upon their safe arrival, and after centuries, five smooth finger holes have been worn into the marble. At the base of the pillar, kneeling and facing the high altar, is a sculpted selfportrait of Master Mateo. Many pilgrims tap their head against his, hoping to receive Some of his genius.
Above on the central arch are the 24 old men of the Apocalypse surrounding Christ; they hold instruments, the central one of which is a Galician zanfona (hurdygurdy), found only in Celtic regions of the world. The left arch bears a grouping of statues of the imprisoned tribes of Israel, and Adam and Eve on either side of Christ. The Last Judgement is depicted on the right arch.
The high altar is a dazzling creation in silver and gold backed by another statue of St. James. The altar is built atop the crypt of St. James, and the faithful can climb down the stairs to pay their respects. Many pilgrims also climb up behind the altar to embrace the statue and kiss the saint's mantle. The cathedral museum contains ecclesiastic items such as the bota fumeiro (a giant incense burner swung over the congregation by five me during important services), a collection of tapestries depicting everyday Iif in the Middle Ages, and archaeological artifacts. The portico off the museum offers excellent views of the town and of the Plaza do Obradoiro.
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