The Obradoiro façade of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela: an all-but-Gothic composition generated entirely of classical details

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is situated in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St. James (popularly known by its local denominations: Galician Camiño de Santiago, Portuguese Caminho de Santiago, Spanish Camino de Santiago, French Chemin de St. Jacques, German Jakobsweg, and so on), a major historical pilgrimage route since the Middle Ages. Download high resolution version (600x800, 117 KB)This is an Original work by Wikipedia editor. I took this picture of the obradoiro façade in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain in autumn of 2003. ... Download high resolution version (600x800, 117 KB)This is an Original work by Wikipedia editor. I took this picture of the obradoiro façade in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain in autumn of 2003. ... Location Location of Santiago de Compostela Coordinates : , , Time zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer : CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Santiago de Compostela (Galician) Spanish name Santiago de Compostela Postal code 15700 Website santiagodecompostela. ... Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Saint James the Great (d. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Way of St. ... Galician (Galician: galego, IPA: ) is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community with the constitutional status of historic nationality, located in northwestern Spain and small bordering zones in neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castilla y León. ... This article is about the religious or spiritual journey. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

History

According to legend, the apostle Saint James the Great brought the Message of Christ to the Celts in the Iberian Peninsula. In 44 AD he was beheaded in Jerusalem. His remains were later brought back to Galicia, Spain. Following Roman persecutions of Spanish Christians, his tomb was abandoned in the 3rd century. Still according to legend, this tomb was rediscovered in 814 AD by Pelayo, a hermit, after witnessing strange lights in the night sky. Bishop Theodemir of Iria recognized this as a miracle and informed the Asturian king Alfonso II (791-842). The king ordered the construction of a chapel on the site. Legend has it that the king became the first pilgrim to this shrine. This was followed by a first church in 829 AD and again in 899 AD by a pre-Romanesque church, at the order of king Alfonso III of León, causing the gradual development of a major place of pilgrimage. This legend was likely a fabrication, used by the kings of Christian Spain to their advantage to expel the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula. In 997 this early church was reduced to ashes by Mohammed ibn-Abi Amir (938-1002), army commander of the caliph of Córdoba, Spain. The gates and the bells, carried by Christian captives to Córdoba, were added to the Aljama Mosque. When Córdoba was taken by king Ferdinand III of Castile in 1236, these same gates and bells were then transported by Muslim captives to Toledo, to be inserted in the cathedral Santa Maria. This article is about the European people. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Capital Oviedo Area  - total  - % of Spain Ranked 10th 10 604 km² 2,1% Population  - Total (2003)  - % of Spain  - Density Ranked 12th 1 056 789 2,5% 99,65/km² Demonym  - English  - Spanish Asturian asturiano/a, astur Statute of Autonomy January 11, 1982 ISO 3166-2 O Parliamentary representation  Congress seats... Alfonso II (759-842, king 791), Alfonso Is reputed grandson, bears the name of the Chaste. ... Alfonso III (c. ... For other uses, see moor. ... For main article see: Caliphate The Caliph (pronounced khaleef in Arabic) is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Sharia. ... Location Coordinates : , , Time zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer : CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Córdoba (Spanish) Spanish name Córdoba Founded 8th century BC Postal code 140xx Website http://www. ... Interior of the Mezquita The Mezquita (Spanish for mosque, from the Arabic مسجد Masjid), was at one time the second largest mosque in the world in Córdoba, Spain and is now a Roman Catholic cathedral. ... United arms of Castile and León which Ferdinand first used. ... For other uses, see Toledo (disambiguation). ... Façade of the Cathedral of Toledo The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, also called Primate Cathedral of Toledo, Spain, seat of the Archdiocese of Toledo, is one of the three 13th century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain and is considered to be the magnum opus of the Gothic...

Construction of the present cathedral began in 1075 under the reign of Alfonso VI of Castile (1040-1109) and the patronage of bishop Diego Peláez. It was built mostly in granite. Construction was halted several times and, according to the Liber Sancti Iacobi, the last stone was laid in 1122. But by then, the construction of the cathedral was certainly not finished. The cathedral was consecrated in 1128 in the presence of king Alfonso IX of Leon. Alfonso VI (before June 1040 – July 1, 1109), nicknamed the Brave, was King of León from 1065 to 1109 and King of Castile since 1072 after his brothers death. ... For other uses, see granite (disambiguation). ... Alfonso IX of León (August 15, 1171 â€“ September 23 or 24, 1230; ruled from 1188–1230), first cousin of Alfonso VIII of Castile, and numbered next to him as being a junior member of the family, is said by Ibn Khaldun to have been called the Baboso or Slobberer...

According to the Codex Calixtinus the architects were "Bernard the elder, a wonderful master", his assistant Rotbertus and, later possibly, "Esteban, master of the cathedral works". In the last stage "Bernard, the younger" was in charge of the building. He also constructed a monumental fountain in front of the north portal in 1122. Detail from the Codex Calixtinus Folio 4r, showing Saint James the Great The Codex Calixtinus is a 12th century illuminated manuscript formerly attributed to Pope Callixtus II, though now believed to have been arranged by the French scholar Aymeric Picaud. ...

The church became an episcopal see in 1075 and, due to its growing importance as a place of pilgrimage, it was soon raised to an archiepiscopal see by pope Urban II in 1100. A university was added in 1495. Urban II, né Otho of Lagery (or Otto or Odo) (1042 - July 29, 1099), pope from 1088 to July 29, 1099, was born into nobility in France at Lagery (near Châtillon-sur-Marne) and was church educated. ...

The cathedral has been embellished and expanded between the 16th and the 18th century.

Façades

Statues of David and Solomon on the flight of steps

At the front of the cathedral, a golden mollusc shell adorns the altar. A steady stream of pilgrims still queue there to kiss the shell, as another sign of homage. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x880, 623 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x880, 623 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Genera See text. ...

Western façade

Top gable of the western façade

The western façade (or Fachada de la Plaza del Obradoiro) is flanked by two medieval towers, 76 m high. The left tower (Torre de la Carraca) shows a statue of Zebedee, father of St. James; the right tower (Torre de las Campanas) shows the statue of Maria salome, his mother. The façade was built in Late Baroque style (the churriguetesque style) by Fernando Casas y Nóvoa between 1738 and 1750. The gable in the centre shows a statue of St. James the Great, with below his two disciples Athanasius and Theodomir, dresses as pilgrims. They are flanking a representation of the tomb of St. James, with above the star that led to its discovery. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 350 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 350 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens: dynamic figures spiral down around a void: draperies blow: a whirl of movement lit in a shaft of light, rendered in a free bravura handling of paint The Baroque was a style in art that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce...

The cathedral's facade (illustration, right) gains from forming part of an extended architectural composition on the Praza do Obradoiro (lit. Workshop Square), a grand square surrounded by public buildings.

The ground rises to the cathedral, which is reached by a magnificent quadruple flight of steps, flanked by statues of David and Solomon. This article is about the Biblical king of Israel. ... It has been suggested that Sulayman be merged into this article or section. ...

Access to the staircase is through some fine wrought-iron gates, and in the centre, on the level of the Plaza, is the entrance to a Romanesque chapel, the Igrexa Baixa ("Lower Church"), constructed under the portico and contemporary with the cathedral. Romanesque St. ...

To the north and south, and in a line with the west front, are dependent buildings of the 18th century, grouping well with it. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Those to the south contain a light and elegant arcade to the upper windows, and serve as a screen to the late Gothic cloisters, built in 1533 by Fonseca, afterwards Archbishop of Toledo. They are said to be the largest in Spain. The north side of the cathedral is in the rich Spanish Baroque style called Churrigueresque. This is the palace of Gelmirez, originally from the 12th century. The western facade of Reims Cathedral, France. ... Events January 25 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne Boleyn, his second Queen consort. ... This is a list of Bishops and Archbishops of Toledo. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens: dynamic figures spiral down around a void: draperies blow: a whirl of movement lit in a shaft of light, rendered in a free bravura handling of paint The Baroque was a style in art that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce...

This façade is illustrated on the Spanish euro coins of 1c., 2c. and 5c. Spanish euro coins feature three different designs for each of the three series of coins. ...

Northern façade

Northern façade

The northern façade leads into the Praza da Immaculada. Here ended the Way of St. James, coming from France, ending at the Francigena (also called Gate of Paradise), the Romanesque portal built in 1122 by Bernard, treasurer of the church. This gate was demolished in the 17th century. On top of the façade stands a statue of St. James from the 18th century, with two kings at his feet in a praying position : Alfonso II the Great (866-910) and Ordoño II of León (873-924). In the centre stands the statue of Faith. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1572x1067, 534 KB) Square on the side of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela (Spain), photographed by Niels Bosboom in July 2003 File links The following pages link to this file: Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago de Compostela ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1572x1067, 534 KB) Square on the side of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela (Spain), photographed by Niels Bosboom in July 2003 File links The following pages link to this file: Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago de Compostela ... Spanish kingdoms 925–929; note that Castile at that time was still a Leónese county rather than an independent kingdom Ordoño II (c. ...

Eastern façade

The eastern façade at the Praza da Quintana offers a completely different view. It has two main portals : the Holy Door and the Royal Door. The Holy Door opens only during a Holy Year, the year when 25 July (the saint's day of St. James) falls on a Sunday. It is accessible during those years via a smaller gated door, dedicated to St. Pelayo (discoverer of the tomb of St. James). This privilege of holding a Holy Year dates from the 12th century and was granted by Pope Callixtus II in 1119 and confirmed with the papal bull "Regis Aeterni" by Pope Alexander III in 1179. This privilege elevated Santiago de Compostela to the same saint status as Rome and Jerusalem. For other uses, see Jubilee (disambiguation) The concept of the Jubilee is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon. ... Callixtus II (or Calistus II), born Guido of Vienne (died December 13, 1124), the son of William I, Count of Burgundy (1057–87), was elected Pope on February 2, 1119, after the death of Pope Gelasius II (1118–19). ... Pope Alexander III (c. ...

This Baroque façade was built by Fernandez Lechuga in 1611, reusing the statues of the prophets and the patriarchs sculpted by Master Mateo. Again one finds above the door statues of St. James and his two disciples.

The Royal Door derives its name from the royal escutcheon above the door.

Southern façade

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 484 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 484 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or...

Southern façade

The southern façade is situated at the Praza das Praterias where, in times past, silver jewels were sold. This square is confined on two sides by the cathedral and the monastery. Adjacent is the city hall in the Rajoy palace. On the right side is the Baroque Clock Tower (Torre del Reloj) by Domindo de Andrade, dating from the 17th century. On the left is the Treasure Tower.

This Puerta de las Platerias one of the best preserved portals. It leads to the south transept. This two-arched Romanesque portal shows us a series of juxtaposed scenes in bas-relief, sculpted between 1112 and 1117. These sculptors came from Conques (in the French Pyrenees), Toulouse, Moissac, Loarre and Jaca, resulting in a happy synthesis of their artistic traditions. Parts from the west façade and reliefs from the north portal were probably later integrated in this portal. Categories: Stub ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... A stop on the way to Santiago of Compostella The town of Moissac holds 3 major points of interest : the National heritage, tourism and economy which reflect Monuments, Streams and Fruit. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Jaca as is viewed from the Rapitan fort. ...

The two tympanums give a disparate impression. The left tympanum shows us the Temptation of Christ in the desert. It is depicted in different fragments, giving a rather motley impression. On the right side of this tympanum one sees a half-dressed Woman Taken in Adultury with the skull of her lover in her lap (attributed to the Master of the Platerias). This probably refers to a legend from the Order of the Knights Templar or maybe a legend with Cathar origin. The right tympanum shows at its centre the flagellation of Christ; at the left side : the crowning with the Crown of Thorns and the healing of the blind; in the upper part : the Epiphany (rather damaged). The Romanesque tympanum of Vézelay Abbey, Burgundy, France, 1130s. ... Knights Templar may refer to: Knights Templar (military order) Knights Templar in England Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem Knights Templar (Freemason degree) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catharism. ...

The frieze shows figures from a Transfiguration : Christ, Abraham (rather unusual), scenes from the Old Testament and four angels with trumpets. Frieze of the Tower of the Winds. ...

Plan

The left pier shows (starting at the bottom) King David playing the lute (attributed to the Master of the Platerias), the Creation of Adam and Christ blessing King David. These sculptures attest to a high degree of artistic quality, especially Adam with his right hand over his heart. They probably were taken from the ancient Romanesque northern portal and date from the last decade of the 11th century. Image File history File links Catedral_santiago_compostela_planta. ... Image File history File links Catedral_santiago_compostela_planta. ... For architectural piers, see Pier (architecture). ... This page is about the Biblical king David. ... A medieval era lute. ...

At the left side of the vestibule : Adam and Eve, driven from Paradise (originating from the north portal). A floorplan with a modern vestibule shown in red. ...

Interior

The cathedral is 97 m long and 22 m high. It preserves its original barrel-vaulted cruciform Romanesque interior. It consists of a nave, two lateral aisles, a wide transept and a choir with radiating chapels. Compared with many other important churches, the interior of this cathedral gives a first impression of austerity until one enters further and sees the magnificent organ and the exuberance of the choir. This cathedral, through its monumental dimensions, is the largest Romanesque church in Spain and even one of the largest in Europe. Barrel vault In architecture, a barrel vault is an extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. ... South transept of Tournai Cathedral, Belgium, 12th century. ... Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are also found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... Cathedral ground plan. ...

The Pórtico da Gloria

Pórtico de la Gloria

Perhaps the chief beauty of the cathedral, however, is the 12th century Portico da Gloria, behind the western facade. This Portico da Gloria in the narthex of the west portal is a remains from the Romanesque period. It is a masterwork of Romanesque sculpture built between 1168 and 1188 by Master Mateo at the request of king Ferdinand II of Leon. The vigorous naturalism of the figures in this triple portal is an expression of an art form, varied in its details, workmanship and polychromy(of which faint traces of colour remain). The shafts, tympana and archivolts of the three doorways which open onto the nave and the two aisles are a mass of strong and nervous sculpture representing the Last Judgment. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 481 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 481 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... South transept of Tournai Cathedral, Belgium, 12th century. ... Ferdinand II, king of León (d. ... Polychrome Victorian-era architectural detail in Kendallville, Indiana. ... This article is about the Christian concept. ...

The central tympanum gives us an image of Christ in Majesty as Judge and Redeemer, showing His wounds in His feet and hands, accompanied by the tetramorph. He is surrounded on both sides by a retinue of angels carrying the symbols of the Passion. In the archivolt are represented the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse, who are tuning their musical instruments. A Tetramorph (from Greek tetra, four and morph, shape) is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements. ... A retinue (O. Fr. ... An archivolt is a group of mouldings (or other elements) surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening. ... Look up Apocalypse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Elders tuning the organistrum (in the archivolt)

The column statues represent the apostles with their attribute, prophets and Old Testament figures with their name on a book or parchment. These were all polychromed. Noteworthy is the faint smile of the prophet Daniel looking at the angel of Reims. Image File history File linksMetadata Organistrumsantiago20060414. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Organistrumsantiago20060414. ... Drawing of a hurdy gurdy A hurdy gurdy (alternately, hurdy-gurdy) is a stringed musical instrument. ... Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; pronounced in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern France, standing 144 km (89 miles) east-northeast of Paris. ...

Saint James on the middle pier

The middle pier represents Saint James, his face conveying an ecstatic serenity. The text scroll in his hand shows the words Misit me Dominus (the Lord sent me). below him is the Tree of Jesse (the lineage leading to Christ), while above is a representation of the Trinity. It is customary for the pilgrims to touch the left foot of this statue, signifying that they have reached their destination. So many pilgrims have laid their hands on the pillar to rest their weary bones, that a groove has been worn in the stone. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3008x2000, 1736 KB) Foto del interior de la Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, Eduardo De Riquer, File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3008x2000, 1736 KB) Foto del interior de la Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, Eduardo De Riquer, File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela... 13th representation of the Tree of Jesse, ivory panel, Louvre The Tree of Jesse, in traditional Christian art, is a visual representation of Jesus ancestry. ... This article is about the Christian Trinity. ...

The lateral portals are dedicated to the rival churches : on the left to the Jews and on the right to the unbelievers.

The right tympanym is divided in three parts and is dedicated to the salvation of the souls. In the centre Christ and St Michael, flanked by Hell (represented by demons) and Heaven (represented by children). The purgatory is shown on the side. Illustration for Dantes Purgatorio (18), by Gustave Doré, an imaginative picturing of Purgatory. ...

The left tympanum shows scenes from the Old Testament.

Demons are represented at the bottom of the portico, signifying that Glory crushes sin.

Behind the portico stands the statue of the Saint with the Bumps. It is said that whoever butts their head three times against the statue will be given intelligence and an excellent memory. There is usually a long line of visitors waiting to bump their head against the statue.

The sculptures in this portico have been a point of reference for Galician sculpture until the 15th century. Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

The nave

Nave and choir

The barrel-vaulted nave and the groin-vaulted aisles consist of eleven bays, while the wide transept consists of six bays. Every clustered pier is flanked by semi-columns, three of which carry the cross vaults of the side aisles and the truss of the arched vaults, while the fourth reaches to the spring of the vault. Lit galleries run, at a remarkable height, above the side aisles around the church. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x974, 415 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x974, 415 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are also found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... In a modern church an aisle is a row down the middle of the church with a set of pews on each side. ... In geography, a bay or gulf is a collection of water that is surrounded by land on three sides. ... Cathedral ground plan. ...

The choir is covered by three bays and surrounded with an ambulatory and five radiating chapels. The vault of the apse is pierced by round windows, forming a clerestory. The choir displays a surprising exuberance in this Romanesque setting. An enormous baldachin, with a sumptuous decorated statue of Saint James from the 13th century, rises above the main altar. The pilgrims are allowed to kiss the saint's mantle via a narrow passage behind the altar. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The ambulatory (Med. ... Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ...

In the choir aisle one remarks the beautiful lattice work and the vault of the Mondragon chapel (1521). The radiating chapels constitute a museum of paintings, retables, reliquaries and sculptures, accumulated throughout the centuries. In the Capela do Relicario ("Chapel of the Reliquary") is a gold crucifix, dated 874, containing an alleged piece of the True Cross. Events March 13 - The bones of Saint Nicephorus are interred in the Church of the Apostles, Constantinople. ... According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. ...

Crypt

Relics of St James

The crypt, below the main altar, shows the substructure of the 9th century church. This was the final destination of the pilgrims. The crypt houses the relics of Saint James and two of his disciples : Saint Theodorus and Saint Athanasius. The silver reliquary (by José Losada, 1886) was put in the crypt at the end of the 19th century, after authentification of the relics by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 568 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 568 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Pope Leo XIII (March 2, 1810—July 20, 1903), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903, succeeding Pope Pius IX. Reigning until the age of 93, he was the oldest pope, and had the third longest pontificate...

In the course of time, the burial place of the saint had been almost forgotten. Because of regular Dutch and English incursions, the relics had been transferred in 1589 from their place under the main altar to a safer place. There were rediscovered in January 1879.

Botafumeiro

The swinging Botafumeiro dispensing clouds of incense

A dome above the crossing contains the pulley mechanism to swing the "Botafumeiro", which is a famous thurible found in this church. This thurible was created by the goldsmith José Losada in 1851. The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is the largest censer in the world, weighing 80 kg and measuring 1.60 m in height. It is normally on exhibition in the library of the cathedral, but during certain important religious high days it is attached to the pulley mechanism, filled with 40 kg of charcoal and incense. In the Jubilee Years, whenever St James's Day falls on a Sunday, the Botafumeiro is also attached in all the pilgrim's mass. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes and bring it into a swinging motion almost to the roof of the transept, reaching speeds of 60 km/h and dispensing thick clouds of incense. This custom originated more than 700 years ago, to mask the stench emanating from hundreds of unwashed pilgrims. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1017, 431 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1017, 431 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... The swinging Botafumeiro dispensing clouds of incense The Botafumeiro is a famous thurible found in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. ... Stained glass window depiction of a thurible, St. ... A censer is a vessel for burning incense. ... Incense is composed of aromatic organic materials. ...

Notes

References

• Text from the articles in the French and Spanish wikipedia
• Turner, J. - Grove Dictionary of Art - MacMillan Publishers Ltd., 1996; ISBN 0-19-517068-7

The Grove Dictionary of Art (1996) is a 34-volume encyclopedia of art. ...

External links

• The official site of the Santiago de Compostela cathedral
• Reconstruction of the swinging motion of the Botafumeiro
• Photographs of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
• Pictures of Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
• Map of Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

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Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Coordinates: 42.8806° N 8.5446° W Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...