Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Type:
Churches,
Portals,
Tympana,
Sculptures
Date:
Current cathedral begun in 1075 and consecrated in 1211, with major additions in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Spain
Description:
Pilgrims traveled long distances to visit the tomb of St. James the Great, one of Jesus's first disciples. By the end of the twelfth century, the cathedral's chief master of works, Master Mateo, and his associated workshop produced several sculptural masterworks, most notably the cathedral's new Portal of Glory. The movement of pilgrims was reoriented so that they no longer entered through a north door and processed along the cathedral's north–south axis. Instead, they entered through the new portal in the west and moved through the cathedral's longitudinal axis. Figures of biblical apostles, prophets, and patriarchs on the jambs of the central portal support the vision of Christ in Majesty in the tympanum. Pilgrims standing before the Portal of Glory would have joined the polychrome granite figures as witnesses.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
5,
6,
7
Repository and Online Resources:
• Discover Santiago de Compostela through the online exhibitions on Google Arts & Culture.
• Read and watch videos about the recent restoration of the Portal of Glory.
• Visit the page on the old town in Santiago de Compostela on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Image Credits:
Wikimedia Commons, Erika Loic, Album/Alamy Stock Photo
