Saint James' Preaching in Hispania

Between 1594 and 1596, the cathedral chapter decided to extend the choir to the rear, having been pressured to do so by Archbishop Juan de Sanclemente. The reliefs made for the extension by sculptor Gregorio Español were kept at the cathedral and reused years later for the base of the Altarpiece of Relics, created by Bernardo Cabrera and Gregorio Español himself.

Along with 3 others, the "Preaching in Hispania" relief featured iconography dedicated to Saint James the Apostle. They are based around exaltation of saints as advocated by the Council of Trent, and follow a narrative sequence rooted in the tradition of Saint James.

The Preaching tableau was installed on the left of the lower part of the altarpiece, forming the base of one of its 4 Solomonic columns. A fire destroyed most of it in 1921 and it became part of the Cathedral Museum collection, along with the rest of the rescued pieces.