Legend tells that the appearance of the remains of the Apostle Saint James were the origin of Santiago (9th C.), which soon became a centre for pilgrimages and a holy city on a par with Jerusalem and Rome. Medieval Santiago experienced centuries of scientific, artistic and literary interchange thanks to the large numbers of pilgrims arriving from all over Europe.
The Pilgrim's Road to Santiago, together with the city of Santiago of Compostela, is today a World Heritage Site because of the historic and artistic nature of the route. With the Catholic Monarchs and Archbishop Fonseca, the University arrived in the city and, in the centuries that followed, several religious orders established monasteries and churches in its streets, contributing to the rich Renaissance and Baroque appearance of the Galician capital. After touring the oldest streets of Santiago, which date from the 12th century - Rúas Franco, Vilar and Nova - we can go to the food market, a medieval structure. Near here stands the University (of Neoclassical plan), the Romanesque church of San Fiz de Slovio and the Baroque church of San Agustín. Without going far from the historic centre of Santiago, we can also visit the Museum in the Collegiate Church of Sar, the Museum of the Galician People (in the Convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval), the Pilgrimage Museum and the Galician Centre of Contemporary Art.
The centre of Santiago is the Plaza del Obradoiro, which has important monuments, including the Cathedral. Its current Baroque façade gives way to a Romanesque doorway from the original building, the Pórtico de la Gloria, created by Master Mateo in the 12th century. Inside, Romanesque and Gothic elements alternate with other Baroque style decoration. In the Cathedral you have to follow the tradition: bump your head on the figure of its creator to obtain prudence and wisdom. At the main altar, a bust of the Apostle Saint James awaits your embrace. Another tradition is the waving of a huge incense holder, "El Botafumeiro", in the main transept, which even reaches the vaults. Other squares, the Plaza Quintana, Plaza Azabachería and Plaza de Platerías surround the various doors and façades of the Cathedral. The latter is the only Romanesque one.
The best time to go to Santiago de Compostela is during the Festivals of the Apostle St. James, a festival declared of International Tourist Interest held on 25 July. During the festival it is easy to taste products as closely associated with St. James as scallops, locust lobsters and Santiago cake. Fish and shellfish from the rias, Santiago parsnip tops and Padrón peppers make up one of the most varied cuisines in Galicia, all washed down with wines from one of the five Galician denominations of origin. The capital of the Galician community is a perfect starting point for touring the whole province of A Coruña. On its coast you will find the Rías Baixas, with medieval fishing villages like Noia and Muros. On the Costa da Morte, an area of cliffs above the Atlantic, are the "end of the world" lighthouses, like that at Finisterre (Fisterra), a place that for centuries was considered the end of the known world. Corcubión, Camariñas and Corme-Laxe are other rias with fishing villages and home to some of the best barnacles in the region. The Rías Altas offer us places like A Coruña, Betanzos and Ferrol, as well as Pontedeume, Viveiro and Ribadeo, among others.
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