The Romanesque Cathedral

Saint James, son of Zebedee, was the first of Christ's apostles to be martyred, in around 44 CE. However, the location of his tomb would later be forgotten. From the time of Saint Jerome onward, the idea that each of the apostles was laid to rest in the place where they preached began to gain traction.

The five panels of this altarpiece tell the story of some of the main events in the life of Saint James: his vocation, mission, preaching in Hispania (the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula), martyrdom, and the transferal of his remains to Galicia in a boat.

Tradition has it that the boat carrying the body of Saint James the Great reached land in Galicia. There, his disciples Theodor and Athanasius, helped by the hand of God, took the apostle's body to Padrón.

For centuries, news spread that the Apostle Saint James' final resting place was in Hispania. The sighting of some mysterious lights by a monk named Paio led to the discovery of the apostle's tomb. This was later confirmed by Bishop Theodomir, following a visitation by angels.

Alfonso II ordered the construction of a basilica on the site of the Inventio. However, as the cult of Saint James grew and grew, it became clear that a larger building was needed. This project was taken on during the reign of Alfonso III.

These archeological findings are evidence of Alfonso III's now-disappeared basilica. The results of the excavations, along with the physical traces that remain beneath the cathedral, are key to recreating what the church may have looked like.

This model is the result of research carried out by Professor K. J. Conant. It shows what the church may have looked like before the time of sculptor Master Mateo, around 1150. The building's grandeur reflects its growing importance as a pilgrimage site.

The Chapel of San Salvador, in the center of the ambulatory, would have been the first part of the cathedral to be built. It was the work of masters Bernard the Elder and Robertus Galperinus. This building had a huge impact on the rest of the site, setting the course for the rest of the project.

The entrance to this chapel has two founding capitals, both of which are linked to the ritual of laying the foundation stone. The Latin inscription reads, "This work was begun in the time of Bishop Diego," and "This work was built in the reign of King Alfonso."

Following a period in which work on the building slowed down, activity began once again with the arrival of the architect Master Esteban (1092–1101). The changes that took place over this period can be seen in the polygonal footprint of the chapels, and other stylistic innovations.

Under Bishop Diego Gelmírez, work began again with renewed vigor. It was at that point that an ambitious plan was drawn up to expand the cathedral, and turn Santiago de Compostela into a second Rome. The most significant part of this expansion was the Romanesque high altar.

This image from the Platerías facade may have originally been intended to be part of the Transfiguration frieze on the western facade. One of the accompanying inscriptions reads, "ANFVS REX," a reference to the coronation of Alfonso Raimúndez as a boy, who later became Alfonso VII.

These shafts were part of the columns that were located at the old Paradise Door (Puerta del Paraíso), on the northern facade. Once again, Book V of the Codex Calixtinus gives us a glimpse of them at the time, describing some "beautifully carved" marble columns.

This relief would have been part of a menologium at the northern door, which showed the tasks that had to be done in each month of the year. The inclusion of this calendar at the northern door may be linked to the Fall of Man, and the possibility of redemption through work.

Various hypotheses have been put forward on how this figure should be interpreted. One suggestion is that it could be part of the Zodiac, depicting Sagittarius. Another suggests that it is a centaur, in a moral allegory of the fight against temptation, represented by the siren at the other end of the frieze.

The project originally included plans for smaller tympana, and some of the scenes from those have been preserved, including The Epiphany and The Flagellation. The widening of the entrances led to scenes being added from other doorways, making it possible to point out the differences between the masters who worked on them.

The Codex Calixtinus comments on this artist's narrative style, saying, "a woman is depicted, holding in her hands the putrefied head of her lover, torn off by her husband, who forces her to kiss it twice a day. A great and admirable punishment that should be widely proclaimed!"

Work on the cathedral continued until 1211, when the building was consecrated. These disks would have been part of the consecration ritual, which was presided over by Archbishop Pedro Muñiz in the presence of King Alfonso IX. This Consecration Ceremony (Acta de Consagración) was recorded in the Tumbo B manuscript.