Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia, an autonomous region located in northwest Spain. It has a population just under 100,000 and is the location of a very interesting Catholic shrine. Santiago is also home to the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, an important university.
The Town's Founding
The story of the town's founding dates back to the apostle Saint James (or, in Spanish, Santiago). Herod tortured and killed Saint James, and forbade his burial. His disciples decided to smuggle his body out of Palestine and placed it in a boat, which ocean currents carried to Spain. It was buried secretly in the woods.
In 870, a hermit came upon the site and saw an array of stars in the sky, as bright as daylight. Because of this, the place was named Campus Stellae, or 'field of stars', from which the second part of the town's name comes. This event was told to the local bishop, who commanded an investigation, resulting in the discovery of the tomb.
A church was built to house the object, which became a point of pilgrimage for Catholics across Europe. The entire town was declared to be a holy site. It reached the height of its importance in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when the pope declared that anyone who visits it during a holy year - any year in which Saint James' day, July 25, fell upon a Sunday - would be absolved of all their sins, and their stay in purgatory reduced by half.
The Town
The old center of town, which doesn't admit any automotive traffic, is a national monument. The entire town is declared a UNESCO heritage sight. Santiago's old town holds both the university and the cathedral, and is extremely beautiful. It also holds an abundance of shops containing various tourist bric-a-brac, as well as bars that feature Galicia's Celtic music.
The newer parts of the city are quite modern and cosmopolitan. Without much walking, you can explore the beautiful countryside as well. Galicia is famous for its seafood, and it's not hard to find a restaurant featuring it. If you stay there, check out as well O Cabaliño do Demo, a vegetarian restaurant serving great food and featuring funky decor, and walls painted with Galego proverbs and pro-Galicia sentiments.
A third of the city's population is students at the university, who lend the town a great deal of youthful atmosphere. Music and theater are abundant in Santiago, along with cybercafés and museums. The town tends to be filled during holy years with thousands of pilgrims, mostly teenagers in groups, especially filling the squares surrounding the cathedral. On nice days it can be hard to move in the streets around the cathedral.
Santiago is a beautiful town, with an architecturally marvelous center and a vibrant new city surrounding it. If you're interested in the sightseeing, avoid it during holy years, but if you wish to see the tomb itself, it is only open during these years. It's a great place to stay and explore the surrounding countryside and nearby cities as well.
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