Cathedral of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle

Located in the historical center of the town of Saint-Jacques-with-Compostelle ( Santiago de Compostela ), goal of the one of largest the pilgrimages of the medieval Europe, it is still one of the most alive hearths of the catholic devotion.

The cathedral of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle was the determining factor so that the Spain enters the medieval cultural circles thanks to the way of Saint-Jacob, initiatory road in which one followed the wake of the Milky Way.

It is devoted to the Apôtre holy Jacques, patron saint and guard of Espagne.

Origins

Discovered body of the apostle at the beginning of the 9th century - it is known today that it is a legend.

The first church built in the honor of Santiago (holy Jacques) was it by Alphonse II the Pure one (791 - 835) at the beginning of the 9th century.

Alphonse III the Large one (866 - 910) replaced it in 899 by a larger church préromane. It was reduced of ashes when the Berbère S of Mohammed ibn-Abi Amir known as el-Mansour, Al-Manzor in Spanish (938 - 1002), the victorious in Arabic, war leader of the caliph de Cordoue Hišām II Al-Mu' ayyad (976 - 1009), ransacked the city in 997. It makes tear off the doors and the bells, that Christian prisoners transport until Cordoue, where they were stored in the Grande Mosque. This fact marked the spirits since at the time of the catch of Cordoue in 1236 by Ferdinand III the Saint (1217 - 1230 - 1252), they are other prisoners, but this time Moslems, which transported these same bells and doors until Tolède where they were stored in the Cathédrale Santa María.

It is with Brioude that the pope Urbain II (1042 - 1088 - 1099), coming from the Puy-en-Velay and going to Clermont-Ferrand, signed, in December 1095, the decree transferring the seat from évêché from Iria-Flavia (today Padrón) to Compostelle.

The current cathedral is a Romance building , built out of granite, from which work began in 1075, with the Pélaez bishop, and thanks to the dash given by the Gelmírez bishop, as well as the king Raimond of Burgundy (v. 1059 - 1107), husbands of the queen Urraque Ire of Castille (1081 - 1109 - 1126), they were finished in 1128. It was devoted the same year in the presence of the king Alphonse IX of León (1166 or 1171 - king 1188 - died in 1230).

According to the Codex Calixtinus , intervened as architects, Bernard “the old man” and Robert in the first stage, and Esteban and Bernard “the young person”, in the second.

It is one of the achievements most representative of the type of the large Romance church dedicated to the worship of the Relique S and of the Pèlerinage S. This building constitutes the result of the research continued in the related French sanctuaries: Holy-Foy of Conches, Saint-Martial of Limoges, Saint Martin's day of Turns and Saint-Sernin of Toulouse. It was much avoided and enriched between 16th and 18th centuries.

The western frontage of invoice baroque ( will chirriguerra Spanish ) was built between 1738 and 1750 by integrating the two turns dating from the Moyen-âge. It is preceded by a monumental staircase gone back to 1606.

The vaults of the cathedral form a museum of paintings, of Retable S, Reliquaire S, sculptures accumulated during the centuries.

In the Guide of the Pilgrim , Aymeri Picaud

The Guide of the Pilgrim of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle corresponds to Ve delivers Codex Calixtinus or Liber Sancti Jacobi . Writing at the 12th century, supposed date 1170.
It gives accurate informations on the project superintendents who intervened, to the 12th century, in the construction of the Romance cathedral of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle: “ the Masters lapidaries who undertook the construction of the basilica of the happy Jacques called Bernard the Old man - it was a brilliant Master - and Robert with the assistance of other lapidaries approximately fifty under the direction of Gift Segeredo, vicar and Master of the chapter, and the Gundesindo abbot, under the reign of Alphonse, king d' Hispanie and of Diego Ier, valiant knight and generous man. ”
It described it as follows: a basilica “ with nine naves in its lower part and six in the high part ”; “ sixty-three drowned windows of stained glasses ”; “ three principal gates and six small ”.

General description

The cathedral has a plan of three naves, a vast transept equipped with collateral and platforms, a bedside with déambulatoire surrounded by a belt of vaults rayonnantes.
The central nave is covered with a barrel vault, as well as the side ones. It had nine turns, two in each frontage and three in the transept crossing. Of medieval plan, it had additions rebirth and Baroque.
The sanctuary is of a exubérance surprising within this Romance framework. The high altar which surmounts a statue of Jacques saint of the XIII {{E}} centuries, sumptuously avoided, is dominated by an enormous carved platform. The pilgrims can go to kiss the coat of the saint by a staircase located behind the autel.
Under the high altar a crypt, consisted the bases of the church of IXe century which sheltered the tomb of the apostle, contains the remainders of Jacques saint and his disciples: saint Theodore and holy Athanase.

Among the beauties of this cathedral, one notices in the déambulatoire, the beautiful grids and the vault of the vault of Mondragòn (1521) like, in the southern brace, the Renaissance doors of the sacristy and the cloître.
The vaults of the cathedral form a museum of paintings, retables, reliquaries, sculptures accumulated during the siècles.

Its interior dimensions are of 97m X 67m and a height of 32 m.
Each one of its frontages form with its respective places of splendid urban units. That of Obradoiro, masterpiece of style baroque, was carried out by Fernando Casas there Novoa in 1740; that of Azabachería is also baroque, work of Ferro Caaveiro and Fernández Sarela, modified by Ventura Rodriguez; that of mow Platerías, work of Mateo Master in 1103; and especially, the Porch of Glory, top of the Romance sculpture carried out by Mateo Master in 1188, it is composed of three arcs of half-time, the exchange divided by a pier, where the image of the Master is found. In the oven walls, the Apostles and the prophets maintain conversations crowned. In the tympanum, the Saver surrounded by the four Évangélistes.
In the center of the cathedral a turn-lantern of the top rises of which is hung by steel ropes a Encensoir out of brass called “Botafumeiro”. High of 1,60 m weighing 54 kg. On certain occasions one agitates it, it can then reach the speed of 60 km/h. It was carried out by the Losada goldsmith in 1851.

Description of the frontages

Frontage on the Place of Obradoiro

Typical example of the churrigueresque Baroque, carried out by Fernando Put there Novoa. Obradoiro: of will obra , work and oiro , but in Galician, from where a gold work. " obradoiro" = goldsmith in Galician. The frontage was named thus because of smoothness of its made in filigree aspect, comparable with the work of a goldsmith.

In top, in the center holy Jacques Apôtre is. A lower level, its two disciples, Athanase and Théodomir. All in clothing of pilgrims. In the medium, the ballot box (representation of the tomb found) and a Star (representation of the lights that would have seen the Pelayo hermit) between angels and clouds. Detail in image

In the Tower of right-hand side is Marie Salome, mother of Jacques saint. In the Tower of left, his/her Zébédée father. On the left, on the balustrade one can see Sainte Susanne and Saint Jean the Evangelist. On the right, on the Barbarian Holy balustrade and Holy Jacques the Minor.

The building with the right-hand side of the cathedral is the cloister. That of the left, is the Palate of Gelmírez, the XII {{E}} centuries.

Place of Obradoiro, a staircase, whose two slopes frame the Door of the Romance Crypt, of XIIe century, conduit with the Parvis of the cathedral. Once crosses the gate, the space ranging between the back plan of Obradorio and the plan before what was the Romance frontage, forms a narrow narthex. Air sight

The Porch of Glory, el Pórtico of Gloria

It is in the Narthex beyond the frontage baroque. The statuary of this triple gate offers the spectacle of the resources of an art varied in its expression, its details, its invoice and its polychromy.

Built at the request of the king Ferdinand II of León (1137 - 1157 - 1188), by Mateo Master, between 1168 and 1188.
The central tympanum of the Porch of Glory: in the center one observes a Christ in majesty showing the wounds of his feet and with its hands, it exposes its suffering like a man. Surrounding the tétramorphes appear (divine representation of the four apostles). At the two sides of Christ one observes also Angels carrying the instruments of passion. Those which were more close to Christ, the nails, the crown of spines and the cross, are not directly touched by the Angels since they do not have the capacity to touch them. The others are carried in their hands as the flask where Pilate washed its hands. Tympam in image

In the Archivolte sit the 24 old men of the Apocalypse, who refine their instruments to give a concert in honor of God. an old man musician in image
On the oven walls the Apôtre S (each one are represented carrying its element: Saint Pierre, keys…) and the prophets all were polychrome and with their name in a book or a parchment. From right to left are represented Moïse and the prophets Isaïe, Daniel and Jérémie with same realism as the other characters of the gantry in image. One will notice the buckled smile of the Daniel prophet announcing the angel of Rheims.

These pillars are only one detail of the solemn, remarkable unit by the harmony of its proportions, carved in a very hard granite. These statues precede the Gothic sculpture.

The Trumeau of the porch of Glory represents holy Jacques. Its face reflects a serenity extatique.
the inscription of the Phylactère which it holds, Misit me Dominus , designates it as the envoy of the Lord. Its role of witness of the Transfiguration explains why its effigy is laid out on a pier primarily decorated with images referring to Christ. Thus, the column in lower part of Jacques saint appears, in a style of a delicacy, the terrestrial filiation of Jesus by a tree of Jessé, while the capital overcoming this support presents the Trinité according to the very remarkable formula of Paternitas: the Father holds the son on these knees, and the dove of the Holy Ghost is posed on his head. Jacques saint in image

On the mullion, below the sitted statue of Jacques saint, is dug the print of the fingers of a hand. The tradition wants indeed that the harassed pilgrims pose the hand there to mean that they touch with the but.

With the foot of the pier, main Mateò would have been represented by a bust. The pilgrims placed their hands in the reinforcements practiced on both sides bust of the Master to secure a place with the paradis.

Behind is the statue of the “holy ''' to the bumps '''” which would have the virtue to give memory and intelligence to whoever coming to knock the tête.

there Under all the porch of glory demons are represented, giving to mean that the weight of Glory crushes the péché.
The lintels of the gantry carry, engraved, the following text: “ the year of the incarnation of the Lord of 1188, of the era 1226, the day of the calends of April, was set up the lintels of the principal gates of the church of the happy Jacques saint, by maestro Mateò, who directed work of these gates, since their foundations… ”
The side Portail S are devoted to the rival Churches that of the Jews on the left and that of nice or pagan on the right. the

the tympanum of the gate of right-hand side: the representation of the hello of the hearts, it is divided into three parts, in the center are represented Saint Michel and Christ and at each side of them it Enfer (where demons of any type are represented) and sky where children are represented (symbolizing the saved hearts). In an east coast represented the Purgatory. the Gate of right-hand side in image

the tympanum of the gate of left, where scenes of the Old Testament are represented.

Northern frontage or of Azabachería

It gives on the Place of Inmaculada or of Azabachería, thus named because it was sold there jewels of jet, azabache in espagnol.
At the 17th century the old Romance gate was dismounted, known as Francigena or Carries France, by this place arrived the pilgrims who had followed the Camino frances . It was built by Bernard, treasurer of Saint-Jacob in 1122. It was called also Porte of the Paradise, because it is by it that the pilgrims entered. In front of this door a fountain ran where the pilgrims purified before entrer.
18th century: underlined by the crowning of a statue of Jacques saint and with his feet, two kings in a position of prayer, who are Alphonse III the Large one (866 - 910) and Ordoño II (914 - 924). In the center one sees the statue of the Faith.

Frontage is or of Quintana

The Place of Quintana or Los Literarios, because it is on this place that was sold the “ wall cupboards ”, of the printed handwritten sheets, and as from the XVIIe century, carrying an image of Jacques saint blessing of Jacquets, with the text of a marching song, in strophic form, to tell the various stages and adventures of their voyage. There are two doors:

The Holy Door or Carries Forgiveness

the Holy Door

It closest to the perrons, is generally closed with a grid. It was one of the seven plus small doors and was devoted to Saint Pelayo (whose monastery is just opposite).

the function which it currently has begins at the 17th century, when one granted to the cathedral the privilege of the Jubilee. By this door, one reaches at a small court and, at the bottom, it is the true Holy Door by which one enters the apse.

the privilege of the Holy year date of XIIe century. In 1119, the pope Calixte II (1060 - 1119 - 1124) attribute the exceptional privilege of “the holy year” and by the bubble “Governed Aeterni” promulgated in 1179, the pope Alexandre III (1105 - 1159 - 1181), will confirm this privilege, which makes of Saint-Jacques-at-Compostelle a Holy City with equal of Rome and Jerusalem.

It is open only during the holy years (years whose July 25th, festival of the Jacques Saint is one Sunday), the preceding December 31st, by the archbishop, using a money hammer extracted the treasure.

Dominated by the Holy apostle Jacques, and his disciples Athanase and Theodore. It was built in 1611 by Fernandez Lechuga by re-using the statues of prophets and patriarchs who decorated old “the coro” Romance and carved by Maître Mateò.

The Royal Door

It is thus called in connection with the royal escutcheon which it has.

Southern frontage or of mow Platerías

The Gate of the Goldsmiths, because it was made the trade of money jewels there, plata in Spanish. in image
The place of Platerías is delimited by the cathedral and the cloister in two on its sides. Contiguous with the cathedral, the House of the Municipal council is, which is installed in the palate Rajoy or Raxoy.
On the right, the tower of the Clock is, old strengthened tower of XIVe, which was high at the end of the XVIIe century, of its bell-tower baroque, realization of Domindo de Andrade. On the left, draws up the tower of Trésor.
This beautiful Romance door with double blind arcade is carved in low relief of juxtaposed scenes, according to the process of Sangüesa and Leyre.
Taking into account the various chronological indices, whose inscription referring to Alphonse VI (1040 - 1065 - 1109), one can go back the year to completion between 1112 and 1117.
It is the only one to be itself maintained, in the south of the transept. It was supplemented with fragments coming from the other gates. Composed of very different flagstones, the two tympanums of the double gate of 1103 produce a rather disparate effect.

On the tympanum of left , the Temptation of Jesus in the desert, assembled in several fragments, appears even more heteroclite.

On the line, one sees a woman with half-undressed who carries a cranium on her knees. This scene can refer to an initiatory legend of origin templière or perhaps cathare. The legend says that there be a virgin who would have fallen pregnant, whereas she ensured not to have had a contact with a man. His/her fathers killed it to dissimulate shame and they buried it. Once buried a head left the tomb and she predicted the future of the men. This virgin does not request with knees but sat on two of lions. The subject is repeated in the cathedral, in a capital of the déambulatoire; instead of cranium it supports a monstrous head.

And Aymeri Picaud in its Guide of the Pilgrim to comment on: “ And one should not forget to mention the woman who is beside Temptation: it holds, between its hands, the head immonde of its seducer who was settled by her own husband and whom, twice a day, on the order of this one, it must kiss, horrible O and admirable punishment of the adulteress whom it is necessary to tell with all. ”

the tympanum of right-hand side carries, in the center of its lower register, the scourging of Christ, at side, on the left, the crowning of spines and the cure of the blind men, and on the higher register, very damaged, the Worship of the Magi.

For the majority of these reliefs, one agrees to raise, at least for the historians of French art, many resemblances stylistics to Conques, while the scene of the cure of the blind men is brought closer to the Basilique of San Isidoro de León.

On the plank of the center : the Saver, Abraham, and various Scenes of the Old Testament.

On the left oven wall , one finds, upwards, the king David, the creation of Adam and Christ blessing. the king David

the sculptures of king David playing of the lute and the creation of Adam testify to a very great artistic quality. This last work especially, where Adam holds his right hand on his heart, like giving life to his portrait, radiates with an extraordinary dignity.

It is probably of the demolition of Puerta Francigena that the reliefs embedded in the buttresses come from the splayed jambs of Puerta of mow Platerias and who date from the last decade of the 11th century.

On the left of the hall : Adam and driven out Eve Paradise. These statues come from the Door of Azabachería.

The pilgrims entered by the Northern door of Azabachería as symbol of what is black and left purified by the Southern door Platerías, as symbol of what is white.

Side wall of the cloister

On the level of the street, there are dependences for stores of jewels and memories.

Ornamentation:

Santiago in the Battle of Clavijo.

the Escutcheon of Spain.

the Transfer of the body of Jacques saint in Galicia.

a Tomb with a star.

In the angle, a gigantic shell. in image

The nave of the cathedral

At the beginning, construction was directed by certain Bernardus, which undoubtedly took up the duties of administrator, while the architect itself carried the title of “ mirabilis magister Bernardus senex ” and was charged to work out a plan of construction which also bound its possible successors. This plan thus envisaged a building with triple naves, with transept also covering with triple naves, and a chorus on the circumference of which the collateral ones were prolonged in déambulatoire. This chorus was equipped with five vaults, the central vault apsidal but not being taken in a wall with right angle. To that two vaults directed towards each arm of the transept are added.

In the center of the chorus the high altar above the crypt rises where the relics of the apostle were preserved, drank supreme of all the voyage. High platforms make all the turn of the building, including arms of the transept. Thus the cathedral presents an interior rise on two floors, the high platforms evoking the splendor of a palate, like points out it the Guide of the Pilgrim. The central naves of the longitudinal vessel and the transept are covered with barrel vaults reinforced by beams which fall down on pillars.

In spite of its monumental dimensions, the cathedral of Compostelle is not only the largest Romance church of Spain but also one of vastest of Europe, it gives a general impression of twinge due to the remarkable structuring of the various elements, characteristic which jumps to the eyes when one compares it with certain French models. The supports, for example, are relatively slender and go up to a great height, the pillars of square section - on an also square plinth - alternate with pillars with the angles rounded carried by a plinth this circular time, outlines of an alternation of the supports which by an insensitive scansion, avoids the impression of monotony that could give birth to this unit with impressive dimensions.

Each pillar is flanked semi-columns of which three carry the beams of the sides and the ties of the arcades while the fourth, only stopped by one narrow transom, goes up until the birth of the vault. To the large arcades of the ground floor, ranges to a remarkable height, correspond to the second level the openings of the platforms, blind arcades of geminated bays divided by coupled double posts one behind the other, the whole under a relieving arch.

The gigantic naves central of the vessels as well longitudinal as transverse are enlightened only by the windows of collateral and of the platforms as by the tower of the cross one what generates a diffuse half-light where the severe structuring takes all its value. The bedside is the only one to have a crown of windows, which contributed certainly to flood of a mystical light the Holy of Holies and the sepulchre of the martyr before various later additions do not come to weaken the effect of this remarkable setting in scene.

The Crypt of the Holy apostle Jacques the Major one

It is and remains the goal of any pilgrim.

It is under the major furnace bridge of the basilica (in the center), it was installation at the 19th century, after the authentification of the relics in 1884 by the pope Leon XIII (1810 - 1878 - 1903). Doesn't this come in contradiction with what one reads higher? I quote: " Discovered body of the apostle at the beginning of IXe century - it is known today that it is a légende". I had already read this assumption and there, will patatras! The pilgrimage does not have any more any direction!

It shelters a mounting silver carried out in 1886, which contains the crowned vestiges. The Saver in his mandorle, Marie, Salome and the apostles, under arcades, are illustrated in strictly frontal position on the longest principal side. The signature of the Goldsmith, Jose Losada, appears on the lid, where are detached the Chrisme, the Alpha and the Oméga. It is inspired by the programs carved of old in front of furnace bridge, gate of the Goldsmiths and porch of Glory

According to the Guide of the Pilgrim , “… it is locked up in a marble tomb which a very beautiful arched sepulchre of an admirable work and suitable size shelters. On its sepulchre is a high modest furnace bridge, says one, by his disciples and that by love for the apostle and his disciples, no one thereafter did not want to destroy. And above another large and admirable furnace bridge is. ” the Guide also teaches us that Christ was illustrated there in the center, trônant and surrounded of the twenty-four old men of the Apocalypse. The evangelists and the apostles were also present. The whole of the characters was surrounded by a floral decoration, and columns separated the apostles.

The decoration and goldsmithery baroque replaced the Romance structure of the vault today. The crypt, in which the relics of the saint are preserved, also underwent transformations. Indeed, with the time, the place in which put back the saint had ended up being forgotten. In 1589, the invaluable relics had been transferred in a place surer than under the principal furnace bridge, because of the English and Dutch incursions. They were redécouvertes only in January 1879, thanks to the research tasks undertaken by the Payà archbishop, helped of Lòpez Ferreiro and Lavìn. In order to give access to many faithful, the crypt in which the relics were was increased.

The Museum of the Cathedral

At the ground floor the library is, where the botafumerios are exposed, as well as the tended chapter house of Flemish tapestries of the XVIIe century, and of three tapestries inhabitants of Madrid of the XVIIIe century. On the first floor, the museum of the tapestries gathers the works carried out according to the paperboards of Téniers, of Goya, Bayeu. The undergrounds are devoted to the Archéologie: parts coming from the excavations carried out in the southern nave and transept.

The Treasury

It is installed in a Gothic vault in the southern arm of the transept of the cathedral.

It has a tympanum representing the equestrian figure of the saint Apôtre, it dates from XIIIe century. It is one of the first representations preserved of Jacques saint at horse.

The treasure shelters a monstrance carried out by Antoine d' Arfa (1539 - 1554), of the “miracle” of the protection of the disciples, continued by the soldiers of the Roman Prefect of Duyo (Dugium), on the bridge of Rio Tambre, bridge called of “Mow Pias”, between Negreira and Ons.

Among the other objects, one will notice a small polychrome wood and alabaster retable, of English origin. Donation made by John Goodyear with the cathedral of Saint-Jacques-at-Compostelle, for the holy year 1456. The last two elements represent the martyr of Jacques saint by Hérode Agrippa (- 10 before J. - C. - 44 after J. - C.), king of Judaea, and the ship of the translation of its body.

At side, the vault of the Relics , of plateresque style, realization of Juan de Alava, preserves the head of holy Jacques Alphée, bishop of Jerusalem in Ier century.

Files of the Cathedral

They have one of the two specimens, which reached us, of the Codex Calixtinus or Liber Sancti Jacobi . It is a whole of texts which one agrees to date around 1140 (date of the last miracle described). It was written with the glory of Jacques Saint the Major one. It includes/understands five books, Ve book, the Guide of the Pilgrim of Saint-Jacques-to-Compostelle , which is the guide itself, appears to be of the monk Aimery Picaud, of Parthenay the Old man, in Poitou. The sum of the practical advices for the pilgrims, indicating the places to them where they must stop, the relics to be venerated, sanctuaries to be visited before arriving at the raised cathedral to the glory of saint Jacques.
It starts as follows: If veritas has perito lectore nostris voluminibus requiratur, in hujus codicis series, amputato esitationis scrupulo, secure intelligatur. That enim in eo scribuntur, multi adhuc viventes will vera ess testantur .
If the reader informs research the truth in our works, that it approaches this book without hesitation nor scruple, it is ensured to find it there, because the testimony of many still alive people attests that what is writing there is vrai.

As the Large Book of the Acts and privileges of the cathedral of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle. Who is a Parchemin of XIIe century.

Files in image

The San Salvador vault or vault of France

Known with the Middle Ages like the “vault of king de France”, because the king Charles V Wise the (1338 - 1364 - 1380) made a gift of three miles Florin S so that was celebrated, in this vault, a mass each " day; for the prosperity of France ".

It is in this vault that the French pilgrims, after being itself confessed, received the Compostela , proving thus that they had achieved the goal of their pilgrimage.

It has a Retable out of polychrome alabaster of XVIe century.

The restoration constitutes the paramount share of the action of the Company of the Friends of Saint-Jacob in France for the holy year 1993.

Catedral Vieja

Or the lower church.

With the foot of the large staircase which precedes the frontage of Obradoiro opens the crypt built at the 11th century, when one completed the nave which it supports to catch up with the inequality of the ground. Beautiful Romance invoice, capitals and columns carved.

The Crypt under the Gantry of Glory

This crypt was reinforced on the principle of the bridges, by Mateo Master, in order to be able to support the weight of the Gantry of Gloire.
One discovers there an exposure of old musical instruments, copied according to the sculptures of the gate of the cathedral.

The Cloister

A passage of the Historia compostellana , written on the order of Diego Gelmírez, reports that this prelate undertook, towards 1124, to provide Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle sumptuous cloister while taking as a starting point the churches by in addition to-monts.
Simple and majestic, the current cloister, with the vast galleries was built in 1521, within Juan de Alava, with mixtures of elements of the Gothique and Renaissance. It is crowned of an openwork balustrade and pinacles.
Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, Spanish architect (Rasines, 1500 - Segovia, 1577). One of the principal representatives of the plateresque style took part in the construction of the cloister of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle.

the Cloister in image and the Tower of the treasure seen since the cloister

Gallery

Random links: