The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela has drawn pilgrims from across Europe for over a thousand years. Construction began in 1075 on the site believed to hold the tomb of the Apostle Saint James, and the building accumulated layers over the centuries — Romanesque nave, Gothic chapels, and the exuberant twin-towered Baroque facade that now faces the Praza do Obradoiro, added in the 18th century by Fernando de Casas Novoa.
The interior is vast and surprisingly dark. The Pórtico de la Gloria, Master Mateo's carved stone portico completed in 1188, is the cathedral's greatest artistic achievement — a sculpted vision of the Last Judgment with Christ at its centre, surrounded by apostles, prophets, and musicians whose expression and movement anticipate the Gothic naturalism that would transform European sculpture a century later. The portico is now protected behind glass to preserve its polychromy.
The Botafumeiro — a silver-plated incense burner weighing 53 kilograms — is swung in a great arc across the transept by eight robed tiraboleiros on feast days and at certain Pilgrim Masses. The tradition reportedly began in the Middle Ages as a practical measure to fumigate the cathedral after thousands of pilgrims arrived after weeks on the road. Check the cathedral's schedule in advance if you want to witness it.
The crypt beneath the high altar holds the silver reliquary said to contain the remains of Saint James. Entry to the cathedral is free; the museum, roof tour, and archaeological crypt require tickets.