Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia is the storied destination of the Camino de Santiago, the network of pilgrimage routes that for over a thousand years has drawn travellers across Europe to the reputed tomb of the apostle Saint James the Great. Built mainly between 1075 and 1211 over the apostle's shrine, its Romanesque core is fronted by the magnificent Portico de la Gloria, a carved masterpiece by Master Mateo, and wrapped in an exuberant Baroque facade, the Obradoiro, that faces the great square at the city's heart.
Inside, pilgrims who have walked or cycled the Way embrace the statue of Saint James and descend to the crypt that holds his relics. On feast days the cathedral swings the Botafumeiro, an enormous silver censer hauled by teams of robed men in arcs across the transept, trailing clouds of incense to the gasps of the crowd.
The heart of a UNESCO World Heritage old town, the cathedral remains a living centre of Catholic devotion and the symbolic finish line of one of the world's great spiritual journeys. Each Holy Year, when the saint's feast falls on a Sunday, swells the flow of pilgrims through its Holy Door.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 5,000,000
- Location
- 42.8806, -8.5444
- Local time
- 00:36 (Europe/Madrid)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 07:00–21:00 |
Basilica interior open continuously; the ticketed Museum/Portico de la Gloria/roofs visit runs daily 10:00-20:00. Circulation restricted during Mass; backpacks not allowed inside.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Saint James the Great Saint
Apostle to whom the cathedral is dedicated; his relics are enshrined in the silver urn in the crypt beneath the high altar.
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Saint Theodorus Saint
Disciple of St James; his relics rest in the same crypt reliquary beside the apostle's.
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Saint Athanasius Saint
The other disciple of St James; his relics also rest in the crypt reliquary.
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Saint Pelagius Saint
The Holy Door was originally the Porta de San Paio, dedicated to him with his image on the door.
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Saint Fructuosus of Braga Saint
Archbishop of Braga whose relics were translated to the Compostela shrine in 1102.
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Saint Ferdinand III of Castile Saint
The Chapel of San Fernando, adjacent to the Relics Chapel, bears his name and holds cathedral treasure.
Care & donations
Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela
Donations and museum fees support upkeep
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