Santiago de Compostela

Coordinates: 42°52′40″N 8°32′40″W / 42.87778°N 8.54444°W / 42.87778; -8.54444
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Santiago de Compostela
Municipality
Cathedral
Hostal dos Reis Católicos
Praterías square
San Martiño Pinario
Pazo de Raxoi
A Coruña
Parishes
30
  • Aríns
  • Bando
  • A Barciela
  • Busto
  • O Carballal
  • O Castiñeiriño
  • Cesar
  • Conxo
  • O Eixo
  • A Enfesta
  • Fecha
  • Figueiras
  • Fontiñas
  • Grixoa
  • Laraño
  • Marantes
  • Marrozos
  • Nemenzo
  • A Peregrina
  • Sabugueira
  • San Caetano
  • San Lázaro
  • San Paio
  • Santa Cristina de Fecha
  • Santiago de Compostela
  • Sar
  • Verdía
  • Vidán
  • Villestro
  • Vista Alegre
Government
 • Type
BNG)
Area
 • Municipality220 km2 (80 sq mi)
Elevation
260 m (850 ft)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Municipality97,849
 • Density440/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
 • Metro
183,855
Demonym(s)Santiagan
santiagués, -guesa  (gl / es)
compostelán, -á  (gl)
compostelano, -na  (es)
Time zoneCET (GMT +1)
 • Summer (DST)CEST (GMT +2)
Area code+34
Websitesantiagodecompostela.gal

Santiago de Compostela,

UNESCO World Heritage Site
.

Santiago de Compostela has a very mild climate for its latitude with heavy winter rainfall courtesy of its relative proximity to the prevailing winds from

low-pressure systems
.

Toponym

Santiago is the local Galician evolution of

Medieval Galician
.

Other etymologies derive the name from

León
.

City

See also:
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

According to a medieval legend, the remains of the apostle

Libredon [gl] and its physical topography leads prevalent sea borne winds to clear the cloud deck immediately overhead.[6] The shepherd quickly reported his discovery to the bishop of Iria, Theodemir.[5] The bishop declared that the remains were those of the apostle James and immediately notified King Alfonso II in Oviedo.[5] To honour St. James, the cathedral was built on the spot where his remains were said to have been found. The legend, which included numerous miraculous events, enabled the Catholic faithful to bolster support for their stronghold in northern Spain during the Christian crusades against the Moors, but also led to the growth and development of the city.[5]

Along the western side of the Praza do Obradoiro is the elegant 18th-century Pazo de Raxoi, now the city hall. Across the square is the Pazo de Raxoi (Raxoi's Palace), the town hall, and on the right from the cathedral steps is the

Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon, as a pilgrims' hospice (now a Parador). The Obradoiro façade of the cathedral, the best known, is depicted on the Spanish euro coins
of 1 cent, 2 cents, and 5 cents (€0.01, €0.02, and €0.05).

Santiago is the site of the University of Santiago de Compostela, established in the early 16th century. The main campus can be seen best from an alcove in the large municipal park in the centre of the city.

Within the old town there are many narrow winding streets full of historic buildings. The new town all around it has less character though some of the older parts of the new town have some big flats in them.

Santiago de Compostela has a substantial nightlife. Both in the new town (a zona nova in Galician, la zona nueva in Spanish or ensanche) and the old town (Galician: a zona vella, Spanish: la zona vieja, trade-branded as zona monumental), a mix of middle-aged residents and younger students maintain a lively presence until the early hours of the morning. Radiating from the centre of the city, the historic cathedral is surrounded by paved granite streets, tucked away in the old town, and separated from the newer part of the city by the largest of many parks throughout the city, Parque da Alameda.

Santiago gives its name to one of the four military orders of Spain:

Alcántara and Montesa
.

One of the most important economic centres in Galicia, Santiago is the seat for organisations like Association for Equal and Fair Trade Pangaea.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Santiago de Compostela has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) with mild to warm and somewhat dry summers and mild, wet winters. The prevailing winds from the Atlantic and the surrounding mountains combine to give Santiago some of Spain's highest rainfall: about 1,800 millimetres (70.9 in) annually. The winters are mild, despite being far inland and at an altitude of 370 metres (1,210 ft) frosts are only common in December, January and February, with an average of just 13 days per year. Snow is uncommon, with 2-3 snowy days per year.[7] Temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) are very exceptional.

Climate data for
m.a.s.l.
Extremes 1944−2021
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20.3
(68.5) 		23.2
(73.8) 		27.6
(81.7) 		30.2
(86.4) 		34.0
(93.2) 		37.8
(100.0) 		39.4
(102.9) 		39.0
(102.2) 		39.0
(102.2) 		30.4
(86.7) 		24.2
(75.6) 		23.4
(74.1) 		39.4
(102.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 11.2
(52.2) 		12.5
(54.5) 		15.0
(59.0) 		16.1
(61.0) 		18.6
(65.5) 		22.2
(72.0) 		24.3
(75.7) 		24.7
(76.5) 		22.8
(73.0) 		18.1
(64.6) 		14.1
(57.4) 		11.9
(53.4) 		17.6
(63.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 7.7
(45.9) 		8.3
(46.9) 		10.2
(50.4) 		11.2
(52.2) 		13.6
(56.5) 		16.8
(62.2) 		18.6
(65.5) 		19.0
(66.2) 		17.4
(63.3) 		13.8
(56.8) 		10.4
(50.7) 		8.5
(47.3) 		13.0
(55.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 4.1
(39.4) 		4.1
(39.4) 		5.4
(41.7) 		6.2
(43.2) 		8.5
(47.3) 		11.3
(52.3) 		13.0
(55.4) 		13.3
(55.9) 		11.9
(53.4) 		9.5
(49.1) 		6.7
(44.1) 		5.0
(41.0) 		8.3
(46.9)
Record low °C (°F) −7.0
(19.4) 		−9.0
(15.8) 		−5.6
(21.9) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		−2.0
(28.4) 		3.4
(38.1) 		3.4
(38.1) 		1.0
(33.8) 		3.0
(37.4) 		−1.6
(29.1) 		−3.2
(26.2) 		−6.5
(20.3) 		−9.0
(15.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 210
(8.3) 		167
(6.6) 		146
(5.7) 		146
(5.7) 		135
(5.3) 		72
(2.8) 		43
(1.7) 		57
(2.2) 		107
(4.2) 		226
(8.9) 		217
(8.5) 		261
(10.3) 		1,787
(70.4)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 15.2 12.6 12.8 14.4 12.7 7.6 5.7 5.5 8.4 14.0 14.9 15.9 139.5
Average snowy days 1.0 0.7 0.2 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.3 2.7
Average
relative humidity
(%) 		84 79 75 76 76 74 74 74 75 82 86 85 78
Mean monthly sunshine hours 93 114 151 165 187 225 243 237 184 132 95 85 1,911
Source:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[8][9]
Compostela under the snow
Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Obradoiro façade of the grand Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
CriteriaCultural: i, ii, vi
Reference347
Inscription1985 (9th Session)
Area107.59 ha
Buffer zone216.88 ha

Administration

The city is governed by a

BNG
.

2015 city council elections results

Party Vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Won +/−
Compostela Aberta (CA)[10] 16,327 34.58 29.36 10 10
People's Party (PP) 15,869 33.61 9.61 9 4
Socialists' Party of Galicia-Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSdeG-PSOE) 6,919 14.65 16.31 4 5
Galician Nationalist Bloc-Open Assemblies (BNG) 3,277 6.94 6.94 2 1
Citizens 2,285 4.84 New 0 ±0
Commitment to Galicia-Transparent Municipalities (CxG-CCTT) 1,112 2.35 New 0 ±0
Solidarity and Internationalist Self-management (SAIn) 301 0.64 0.23 0 ±0
Converxencia XXI (C21) 139 0.29 0.29 0 ±0
Blank ballots 991 2.10 1.73
Total 47,220 100.00 25 ±0
Valid votes 47,220 98.46
Invalid votes 738 1.54
Votes cast / turnout 47,958 61.13 1.31
Abstentions 30,492 38.87 1.31
Registered voters 78,450
Source: Ministry of the Interior

Population

The population of the city in 2019 was 96,260 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area reaches 178,695.

In 2010 there were 4,111 foreigners living in the city, representing 4.3% of the total population. The main nationalities are

Colombians
(7%).

By language, according to 2008 data, 21.17% of the population always speak in

mother tongue.[12]

History

Interior of the cathedral.
Knockers in the city's old quarter
The Library and the Chapter at the cathedral, Collotype 1889
Calvary of St Franciscus church.
Pórtico da Gloria, old façade of the Romanesque cathedral, 12th century
cathedral

The area of Santiago de Compostela was a Roman cemetery by the 4th century

Suebi Kingdom by Leovigild as the sixth province of the Visigothic Kingdom
.

Possibly raided from 711 to 739 by the

Saint James the Greater. This discovery was accepted in part because Pope Leo III[22] and Charlemagne—who had died in 814—had acknowledged Asturias as a kingdom and Alfonso II as king, and had also crafted close political and ecclesiastic ties.[23] Around the place of the discovery a new settlement and centre of pilgrimage emerged, which was known to the author Usuard in 865[24]
and which was called Compostella by the 10th century.

The devotion to Saint James of Compostela was just one of many arising throughout northern Iberia during the 10th and 11th centuries, as rulers encouraged their own region-specific devotions, such as

Alfonso IX, last of the Kings of León and Galicia before both kingdoms were united with the Kingdom of Castile
.

During this same 10th century and in the first years of the 11th century

Cresconio
, in the mid-11th century, fortified the entire town, building walls and defensive towers.

According to some authors, by the middle years of the 11th century the site had already become a pan-European "place of peregrination",[30] while others maintain that the devotion to Saint James was before 11-12th centuries an essentially Galician affair, supported by Asturian and Leonese kings to win over faltering Galician loyalties.[25] Santiago would become in the course of the following century a main Catholic shrine second only to Rome and Jerusalem. In the 12th century, under the impulse of bishop Diego Gelmírez, Compostela became an archbishopric, attracting a large and multinational population. Under the rule of this prelate, the townspeople rebelled, headed by the local council, beginning a secular tradition of confrontation by the people of the city—who fought for self-government—against the local bishop, the secular and jurisdictional lord of the city and of its fief, the semi-independent Terra de Santiago ("land of Saint James"). The culminating moment in this confrontation was reached in the 14th century, when the new prelate, the Frenchman Bérenger de Landore, treacherously executed the counselors of the city in his castle of A Rocha Forte ("the strong rock, castle"), after inviting them for talks.

Santiago de Compostela was captured and sacked by the French during the Napoleonic Wars; as a result, the remains attributed to the apostle were lost for near a century, hidden inside a cist in the crypts of the cathedral of the city.

The excavations conducted in the cathedral during the 19th and 20th centuries uncovered a Roman cella memoriae or

holy place, has been sometimes attributed to Priscillian, although without further proof.[31]

Economy

Santiago's economy, although still heavily dependent on public administration (i.e. being the headquarters of the autonomous government of Galicia), cultural tourism, industry, and higher education through its university, is becoming increasingly diversified. New industries such as timber transformation (FINSA), the automotive industry (UROVESA), and telecommunications and electronics (Blusens and Televés) have been established. Banco Gallego, a banking institution owned by Novacaixagalicia, has its headquarters in downtown rúa do Hórreo.

Tourism is very important thanks to the

Way of St. James, particularly in Holy Compostelan Years (when the Feast of Saint James falls on a Sunday). Following the Xunta's considerable investment and hugely successful advertising campaign for the Holy Year of 1993, the number of pilgrims completing the route has been steadily rising. More than 272,000 pilgrims made the trip during the course of the Holy Year of 2010. Following 2010, the next Holy Year will not be for another 11 years when St James feast day again falls on a Sunday. Outside of Holy Years, the city still receives a remarkable number of pilgrims. In 2013, 215,880 people completed the pilgrimage. In 2014, there were 237,983 persons. In 2015, there were 262,513 persons and in 2016, there were 277,854 persons.[32]

Editorial Compostela owns daily newspaper El Correo Gallego, a local TV, and a radio station. Galician language online news portal Galicia Hoxe is also based in the city.

public broadcaster
corporation of Galicia, has its headquarters in Santiago.

Way of St. James

Main article: Camino de Santiago
Way of St. James
A partial view of Santiago de Compostela, with the Pico Sacro in the background
Depiction of Saint James in the 12th century Codex Calixtinus

The legend that St James found his way to the

Saint James the Greater, while continuing to promote the more general benefits of pilgrimage to the site. Pope Benedict XVI undertook a ceremonial pilgrimage to the site on his visit to Spain in 2010.[33]

Legends

According to a tradition that can be traced back at least to the 12th century, when it was recorded in the

Czech traveller Jaroslav Lev of Rožmitál, in the 15th century.[34]

The relics were said to have been later rediscovered in the 9th century by a hermit named Pelagius, who after observing strange lights in a local forest went for help after the local bishop,

Theodemar of Iria, in the west of Galicia. The legend affirms that Theodemar was then guided to the spot by a star, drawing upon a familiar myth-element, hence "Compostela" was given an etymology
as a corruption of Campus Stellae, "Field of Stars."

In the 15th century, the red banner which guided the Galician armies to battle, was still preserved in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in the centre Saint James riding a white horse and wearing a white cloak, sword in hand:[35] The legend of the miraculous armed intervention of Saint James, disguised as a white knight to help the Christians when battling the Muslims, was a recurrent myth during the High Middle Ages.

Establishment of the shrine

St James
, worn by pilgrims

The 1,000-year-old pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is known in English as the

Channel 5 and the Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez collaboration The Way
.

Pre-Christian legends

As the lowest-lying land on that stretch of coast, the city's site took on added significance. Legends supposed of

souls of the dead gathered to follow the sun across the sea. Those unworthy of going to the Land of the Dead haunted Galicia as the Santa Compaña
or Estadea.

In popular culture

Santiago de Compostela is featured prominently in the 1988 historical fiction novel

Sharpe's Rifles, by Bernard Cornwell
, which takes place during the French Invasion of Galicia, January 1809, during the Napoleonic Wars.

The music video for

Una Cerveza, by Ráfaga
, is set in the historic part of Santiago de Compostela.

A pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela provides the narrative framework of the Luis Buñuel film La Voie lactée (The Milky Way).

A mystic pilgrimage was portrayed in the autobiography and romance The Pilgrimage ("O Diário de um Mago") of Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho, published in 1987.

Main sights

  • Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
  • University of Santiago de Compostela
  • President of the Xunta of Galicia
  • 12th century Colexiata de Santa María do Sar
  • 16th century
    Abbey of San Martín Pinario
  • 17th century Convent and Church of San Francisco
  • Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea (Galician Center for Contemporary Art), designed by
    Alvaro Siza Vieira
  • City of Culture of Galicia, designed by Peter Eisenman
  • Muralla de Santiago de Compostela
  • Parque da Alameda (Alameda Park)
  • Parque de Carlomagno (Carlomagno Park)
  • Parque de San Domingos de Bonaval, redesigned by
    Alvaro Siza Vieira

Transport

Santiago de Compostela railway station

Santiago de Compostela is served by

Santiago de Compostela Airport and a Renfe
rail service.

Airport

northern Spain after Bilbao Airport
. The airport is located in the parish of Lavacolla, 12 km from the city center and handled 2,903,427 passengers in 2019.

Railway

Santiago de Compostela railway station is linked to the Spanish High Speed Railway Network. Madrid is reached in 3 hours.

Celta train in Vigo.[36]

On 24 July 2013 there was a serious rail accident near the city in which 79 people died and at least 130 were injured when a train derailed on a bend as it approached Compostela station.[37]

Sports teams

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Santiago de Compostela
Rosalía de Castro
Carmen Babiano
Ana Romero Masiá 2012

Sport

See also: Category:Sportspeople from Santiago de Compostela
Vero Boquete
, 2013
  • Andrés Domínguez Candal (1918–1978) aka Pierita, footballer
  • José Luis Veloso (1937–2019), footballer, 278 pro appearances
  • Tomás Reñones (born 1960) known as Tomás, footballer, nearly 500 pro appearances
  • Moncho Fernández (born 1969), basketball manager and coach
  • Emilio José Viqueira
    (born 1974), footballer who made 454 pro appearances
  • Manuel Castiñeiras (born 1979), footballer, over 300 pro appearances
  • Rubén González Rocha
    (born 1982), known as Rubén, football central defender
  • Borja Golan
    (born 1983), professional squash player who represents Spain
  • Iván Carril (born 1985), footballer
  • Verónica Boquete (born 1987), footballer
  • José Ángel Antelo (born 1987), basketball player
  • Alberto Manuel Domínguez Rivas
    (born 1988) known as Alberto, football goalkeeper
  • Borja Iglesias (born 1993), footballer for Real Betis

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain

Twin towns/Sister cities

Santiago de Compostela is

twinned with:[40]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Pronunciation:

References

  1. ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  2. ^ "Santiago". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  3. ISBN 9788415876694
    .
  4. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica (1823), p. 500.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0806114545
    .
  6. ^ "THE WAY | Fundación Arousa. Foundation Arousa. Año Santo Compostelano. Año Jacobeo. Xacobeo 2021. The Route of the sea of Arousa and river Ulla".
  7. ^ "Santiago de Compostela Aeropuerto: Santiago de Compostela Aeropuerto - State Meteorological Agency - AEMET - Spanish Government".
  8. ^ "Standard climate values. Santiago de Compostela Aeropuerto".
  9. ^ "Extreme values. Santiago de Compostela Aeropuerto".
  10. ^ Results compared with the combined results of United Left and Candidatura do Povo in 2011.
  11. ^ "Instituto Galego de Estatística – 2008 – Uso da lingua nos grandes concellos – Santiago de Compostela".
  12. ^ "'Os datos secretos do galego': Así responderon as familias á consulta lingüística da Xunta". 15 December 2016.
  13. ^ Fletcher (1984), pp. 57–59.
  14. ^ Gallichan (1912), pp. 36−37.
  15. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica (1823), p. 496.
  16. ^ Gallichan (1912), pp. 26−27.
  17. ^ Atlas of Medieval History Colin Mc Evedy (Penguin Books) [1961]. pp. 46.
  18. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica (1823), p. 499.
  19. ^ Fletcher (1984).
  20. ^ Gallichan (1912), pp. 26−25.
  21. OCLC 600124268
    . From the collections of the Getty Research Institute. (Published annually from 1764 to 1944)
  22. ^ Gallichan (1912), pp. 24−25.
  23. ^ Collins (1983), p. 232.
  24. ^ Fletcher (1984), p. 56.
  25. ^ a b Collins (1983), p. 238.
  26. ISBN 84-89915-16-4
    .
  27. ^ Fletcher (1984), p. 23.
  28. ISBN 84-8121-661-5
    .
  29. ^ Collins (1983), p. 199.
  30. ^ Fletcher (1984), p. 53.
  31. ^ Fletcher (1984), pp. 59–60.
  32. ^ "Camino de Santiago Statistics End 2016 Pilgrim Numbers Walking Camino". caminoadventures.com. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  33. ^ "Apostolic Journey to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona: Welcoming ceremony at the International Airport of Santiago de Compostela (November 6, 2010) – BENEDICT XVI". w2.vatican.va.
  34. ISBN 84-7154-909-3
    .
  35. ISBN 84-7154-909-3
    .
  36. ^ "Porto to Santiago de Compostela by train".
  37. ^ Spain train crash: Driver formally detained, BBC News 26 July 2013
  38. ISBN 9788471914002
    .
  39. ^ Aldegunde, C. (23 October 2017). "Miriam, Luis y Roi, así son los concursantes gallegos de "Operación Triunfo 2017"". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  40. ^ "Todos los Santiagos se hermanan" (in Spanish). El Correo Gallego. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  41. ^ "Documento Unico di Programmazione 2016-2021 – DUP" (PDF) (in Italian). Assisi. October 2016. p. 63,78. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  42. ^ "Concello de Santiago: Proyecto de red de ciudades hermanadas Santiago-Une" (PDF) (in Spanish). culturaydeporte.gob.es. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  43. ^ "Inícianse os trámites para o irmandamento de Compostela coa cidade portuguesa de Braga" (in Galician). Council of Santiago de Compostela. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  44. ^ "Convenios Internacionales" (in Spanish). City of Buenos Aires. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  45. ^ "Se cumplen 50 años desde que Cáceres y Santiago de Compostela son hermanas" (in Spanish). Hoy. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  46. ^ "Os irmandamentos en Galicia: Globalización, redes e goberno local" (PDF) (in Galician). IGADI. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  47. ^ "Cidades Geminadas e Acordos de Cooperação" (in Portuguese). Coimbra. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  48. ^ "Las 12 hermanas de Córdoba" (in Spanish). Diario Córdoba. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  49. ^ "Town Twinning". Mashhad. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  50. ^ "Tres calles de San Marcos recibirán el nombre de ciudades hermanadas con Compostela" (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  51. ^ "Oviedo se hermanará con la ciudad portuguesa de Sintra en San Mateo" (in Spanish). El Comercio. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  52. ^ "Gemellaggi" (in Italian). Pisa. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  53. ^ "Qom". Toiran.com. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  54. ^ "QuFu (China) y Santiago de Compostela preparan un acuerdo de hermanamiento" (in Spanish). Europa Press. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  55. ^ "Compostela se hermana con la ciudad francesa de Rennes, adonde lleva la muestra «Santiago Une»" (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
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  58. ^ "Cidades-Irmãs de São Paulo" (in Portuguese). São Paulo. Retrieved 26 November 2022.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Santiago de Compostela". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 191–192.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Santiago de Compostela.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Santiago de Compostela.