The Cathedral of Saint James is part of the Santiago de Compostela World Heritage site in Galicia, Spain.  The cathedral is also the burial place of Saint James, the apostle, although this fact seems to be refuted by some.  Groundbreaking for this beautiful cathedral took place in 1075.  The Cathedral was completed and consecrated in 1211.

It is always difficult to show the beauty of these magnificent cathedrals from a photo.  But, here is my attempt to do so.

Because of the dedication to the pilgrims, Mass at the Cathedral is said every day at 7:30am, 9:30am, 12 noon, and 7:30pm.  Priests are also available throughout the cathedral daily for confessions.  Because my hotel was within walking distance, I was able to attend Mass each day. 

There were also many other side altars beautifully decorated with sculptures and artwork. 

To learn more about the cathedral and to make sure I didn’t miss anything, I purchased a ticket for a self-guided tour of the museum.  The artwork throughout the museum was beautiful. 

Here are some of my favorite paintings in the Cathedral Museum.

Here are some more great treasures displayed throughout the museum.

The main difference between the Botafumeiro at Saint James Cathedral and the thuribles in our local Catholic parishes is its size.  I was hoping that I would have an opportunity to see the Botafumeiro in action, however, this thurible is only used for special occasions such as the Epiphany.  To give you an idea of how this works within the Catholic Mass, here is a video taken five months ago at the Saint James Cathedral.

As I continued through the Museum, I found a beautiful painting of the transfer of Saint James’ body to the cathedral site. 

The museum continued with the crypt and an outside walkway with beautiful views.

After a thorough review of the cathedral and its museum, I was ready to explore the town of Santiago.

As I walked through the narrow streets of this beautiful town, I found many more churches, beautiful architecture, and great food.

Santiago de Compostela was the perfect ending to an amazing Spain adventure.

Let me know in the comments below if walking the Way of Saint James is on your bucket list.  A member of our church and her husband will be walking the Camino in April 2024.  I will be partnering with her when she returns for a special presentation in October 2024 at our parish in Palm Harbor, Florida.  Let me know in the comments if you would be interested in attending a presentation on the Way of Saint James.  We will add your name to our mailing list and provide updates as it gets closer to the date of the presentation. 

Well folks, this is the end of my 17-day Spain adventure.  I hope you enjoyed all the blogs about beautiful Spain.  I have several other trips planned for 2024.  Stay tuned as I share the history and beauty of Iceland. 

My latest book is now available on Amazon! This book features the life story of Father Pedro Camilo Simoes, SAC. I had so much fun writing this book with Father Camilo. I know you will enjoy reading about his adventures.

Click on the link below to order your copy today!

Use the Amazon buttons below to order your copy of my latest books. Don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon! Thank you and Happy Reading to ALL…..

Click Here to read Denise’s articles on Catholic365.

For my favorite books by other authors - click here.

God Bless and Remember - Sharing is Caring!