The cathedral is a beautiful structure. You will find a scallop shell made of Gold decorating the altar. As a mark of respect, several devotes stand in queue to kiss the shell.

Two medieval tower border the Church’s western portico. A statue of Zebedee (St.James’ father) is found at Torre da Carraca (the left tower).Likewise the statue of Maria Salome (St.James’ mother) is present at Torre das Campás (the right tower).

The floor ascends to the cathedral, accessible by splendid flight of stairs in quadruples. On either side of the staircase you can find the statue of Solomon and David.

The interiors of the church measure about 22m height and 97m length. The inner portions are conserved in the barrel-vaulted cruciform Romanesque pattern. Because of its enormous magnitudes, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is regarded as the largest Roman church in the whole of Spain and also in the European continent.

Opening hours

Except on Mondays, the church is opened on all days from 11.00 to 20.00hrs.

Address

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
St. James Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela
Praza Praterías, S/N 15704 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
981 572 300