SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

 SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

ORIGINS:

The construction of the cathedral began in 1070/1075 (11th century) under the reign of Alfonso VI and the patronage of Bishop Diego Peláez. It was built on the same plan as the monastic brick church of Saint Sernin in Toulouse, probably the largest Romanesque building in France.

Place: It is located in Galicia, La Coruña.

The Cathedral is a living temple that welcomes thousands of pilgrims and helps them affirm or discover themselves as spiritual beings.

The Cathedral is also a marvel of universal art. It covers creations of great value that were made from the beginning of construction works at the height of the Romanesque period, 900 years ago, until the emergence of Neoclassicism in the second half of the 18th century, including also exceptional Gothic, Renaissance and baroque contributions.

RELIC: It was the first temple of peligrimation. 

The Camino ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where the relics of Santiago are kept. Pilgrims complete this long road to pray to his God, and forgive his sins. They start in the 11th Century.

Of the former, the fragments deposited in the silver urn in the crypt of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela are preserved. Throughout history, relics and bodies of Santiago have been invoked in other parts of Europe, but the only ones authenticated by the Church at the highest level -the last time in 1884- are those existing in the Compostela cathedral.

BOTAFUMEIRO:

The Botafumeiro is one of the most popular symbols of the Cathedral. It is a large thurible that hangs by means of a system of pulleys from the main dome of the Cathedral and swings toward the side naves.The Botafumeiro is used for liturgical reasons, in the same way as a priest would use a censer at the altar. The purpose of this great censer is to symbolise the true attitude of the believer.

PILGRIMAGE:

Pilgrimaging is a common rite in most religions. Santiago is one of the most important pilgrimage cities of Christianity. The 12th and 13th centuries were the golden age of pilgrimages to Santiago.

The pilgrimage to Santiago takes us to the Tomb of an Apostle, one of the twelve who were part of Christ’s intimate circle and who was responsible for the evangelization of Hispania, that is to say, he transmitted the original faith received from Jesus.

There are different pilgrimage routes to Santiago. There are several major and traditional routes that receive the greatest flow of pilgrims:

- The French Way

- The Northern Way

- The Primitive Way

- The English Way

- The Portuguese Way

- The Vía de la Plata

CURIOSITIES: 

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The primitive church, built in the reign of Alfonso III, was destroyed by Almanzor. And then Alfonso VI constructed the new one. In the 18th Century they changed the facade to a barroco one. 

MATERIALS: STONE

The xacobeo year

The Jacobean Holy Year (in Galician, Ano Santo Xacobeo), also known as the Compostela Holy Year or simply Jacobean, is a Catholic celebration that takes place in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, the years in which on July 25 , feast of Santiago Apóstol, falls on Sunday. This happens with a regular cadence of 6-5-6-11 years (except when the last year of a century is not a leap year, when there may be periods of 7 or 12 years), so that each century fourteen Jacobean Holy Years are celebrated. 

Introduction:

This is a pìece of art about architecture.It´s a cathedral.

Analysis: 

Layout:It´s a latin cross as a symbol of Jesus Christ's crucifixion.

There are two bodies ( main body and the transept).There are three naves, the central nave which is bigger and the side naves which are smaller.

There is a crossing located where the two bodies cross, covered by a dome with eight sides ( this is the infinity symbol) and small windows to illuminate the althar.

Head part: It's located on the top of the cross, with a semicircular shape and in here they put the relic. In here is also an ambulatory that connects the side naves to organize the pilgrims around the relic.

The central nave is covered by barrel vaults, and the side naves are covered by groin vaults.

The main entrance: There are three entrances:two on the transept and the main entrance on the feet of the cross.There   

is a lot of decoration: sculpture and sometimes paintings 

( about the judgement day ) to take the attention of the people.Above the door there is a rose window( it´s daisy shape ) in order to the light pass through it and illuminates the althar when the sunset happens.There are two bell towers, as a symbol of protection on both sides of the main entrance in order to call people to mass or other christian celebration, to mark the time or advise for danger.

Interpretation:

This is a romanesque style between 10-13th centuries.