The Holy Apostolic and Metropolitan Church Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a Catholic church located in the city of the same name, in the centre of the province of A Coruña, in Galicia. 

It houses what, according to tradition, is the tomb of the Apostle St. James, which made the temple one of the main pilgrimage destinations in Europe during the Middle Ages through the so-called Camino de Santiago, a religious route that connected the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of the continent. 

This was decisive for the medieval Hispanic kingdoms to participate in the cultural movements of the time; today it is still an important pilgrimage destination. 

A privilege granted in 1122 by Pope Callistus II declared that every year in which 25 July, the day of St. James, fell on a Sunday would be a "Holy Year" or "Jubilee Year" in Compostela. 

"Europe was made through the pilgrimage to Compostela" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The second most visited place in the city after the Cathedral, the current Mercado de Abastos de Santiago was built in 1941, but the true history of the Market dates back to its predecessor, the Mercado de la Ciudad. Its importance lies in the fact that it was the first time that the different and dispersed markets existing in Compostela at that time were given a roof.

In 1937 it would be demolished for the construction of the current Plaza de Abastos.

The Market has been functioning for the last three centuries, becoming a leading center in the commercialization of fresh products in Santiago.

With numerous stalls selling shellfish, fish, meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables, among others, it offers a wide variety of products, many of them locally produced, as well as a wide range of restaurants, located in nave 5. 

The surroundings of the market also offer a wide variety of gastronomic services, such as in Rúa das Ameas and Praza de Santo Agostiño, which make it a meeting point for locals and tourists. 

The Plaza del Obradoiro is the monumental center of Santiago de Compostela. Its Galician name seems to derive from the stonemasons' workshops that worked on the construction of the Baroque facade of the Cathedral, which dominates the square and welcomes the thousands of pilgrims arriving on the Camino de Santiago.

The buildings that close the square - the Cathedral; the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos -today a national parador and formerly a pilgrims' hospital-; the Colegio de San Xerome -seat of the Rectorate of the University-; and the Palacio de Raxoi, -seat of the City Hall of Santiago-, are representative of the main poles of life in the Galician capital: religion, university education, attention to pilgrims and travelers, and the Administration.

This square has, therefore, the quality of summarizing the uses and the millenary history of the city. A 360-degree turn allows us to recognize at a glance the presence of different architectural styles, arising in more than 700 years of construction. 

The south square of the Cathedral, which owes its name to the goldsmiths' workshops located since the Middle Ages in the cloister, is dominated by the only Romanesque façade that the Cathedral preserves.

It dates from 1078 or 1103 and was severely damaged during the popular uprisings against Archbishop Gelmirez, in the second decade of the twelfth century, so it was rebuilt a few years later. In the following centuries more Romanesque figures were added from the so-called Door of Paradise, on the north side of the Cathedral, to create a richly iconographic ensemble. In the frieze there are apostles, angels and zodiacal signs.

The center is occupied by a stylized Christ, next to whom is Santiago.

In the portals, the tympanum on the left seems to represent the temptation of Christ; the one on the right, clearly recognizable scenes of the Passion: the trial of Pilate, the scourging and the betrayal of Judas.

Other figures such as King David and the creation of Adam decorate the side walls.

It is composed of three distinct parts united since the 19th century: the Alameda promenade, the Carballeira of Santa Susana and the Herradura promenade. 

Entering through Porta Faxeira, A curious sculpture by César Lombera, known as Las Dos Marías, welcomes you to the park. They represent two sisters and seamstresses by profession, who undertook the same walk every day, wearing colorful dresses and elaborate makeup.

To your right you can see, down the street, the Colegio de San Clemente, founded at the beginning of the 17th century.

Behind its façade with classic lines, the Rosalía de Castro Secondary Education Institute is located. 

The perimeter of the park can be walked starting, for example, from the Paseo de los Leones, which starts under the triumphal arch.

There the walker runs into the Galician writer Ramón del Valle Inclán immortalized in bronze, to later reach the eucalyptus "of lovers" and admire a classic among the postcards of Compostela: the vision of the Historical Complex framed between the branches of oaks and elms.

The Cidade da Cultura represents one of the most interesting examples of contemporary architecture in northern Spain, a space with a powerful visual force to enjoy creativity and nature.

Literally dug out of Mount Gaiás, the City of Culture, designed by the New Yorker Peter Eisenman and with towers by John Hejduk, opened its doors in 2011 with the inauguration of the first two buildings, out of a total of six, that make up this magnificent cultural macro-structure.

In addition to exhibitions and cultural programs, it offers spaces suitable for the organization of small congresses, seminars, courses or presentations.

The outdoor spaces offer an exceptional setting for a multitude of artistic activities in the beauty of this masterpiece of contemporary architecture.

The Convent of San Francisco de Valdediós was founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1214.

The land was bought from the monks of San Martiño Pinario for the symbolic annual rent of a basket of trout.

It is said that San Francisco commissioned its construction to a charcoal burner called Cotolay, who miraculously found a treasure with which he was able to pay for this work. 

Of the original building, only five Gothic arches in the cloister and Cotolay's tomb remain. The current Baroque church was built between 1742 and 1749 and is of great simplicity and formal purity.

A neoclassical renovation retouched the façade, which has an image of San Francisco made by the sculptor Ferreiro. 

Its cloister dates from the early 17th century and is attributed to Xácome Fernández. 

The Terra Santa Museum, linked to this convent, houses objects related to the Holy Places, as well as other objects from the pilgrim tradition.

The College of Santiago Alfeo or Fonseca, considered the origin of the University of Compostela, began to function in 1544.

It was ordered to be built by the archbishop Alonso de Fonseca III, designed by the architect Juan de Álava and erected by Alonso de Covarruvias.

The courtyard is the work of Gil de Hontañón; made of granite masonry, its facade is in the Plateresque style with surviving ogival elements.

It has two sections with several Gothic statues in the intercolumniation and in the frieze niches.

The two of the first body represent Santiago Alfeo and the Virgin Mary.

In the center, the coat of arms with the five stars of the Fonseca family. Passing through the door are the Gothic chapel and the Coffered Hall, former refectory of the college, and where the first autonomous Parliament of Galicia was provisionally installed.

Building owned by the University of Santiago de Compostela, now the General Library of the University.

The former convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval, located on a hill outside the walls of the historic city, next to the road by which pilgrims reached Compostela, now houses the Museo do Pobo Galego, which through a wide and varied set of pieces offers an overview of the most representative manifestations of Galicia's own culture.

Its permanent rooms show various aspects of the world of the sea, traditional trades, the countryside, clothing and popular architecture.

It also has sections on Galician archeology, painting and sculpture. Temporary exhibitions of different themes are regularly organized.

The Museum of the Galician People was established under the auspices of a Board of Trustees made up of entities and individuals working in different areas of Galician culture and representatives of public and academic institutions.

It was inaugurated in October 1977, in a building donated by the City Council of Santiago de Compostela.