Our next port was Vilagarcia at the head of Ria de Arousa. The idea being to catch the train to Santiago de Compostela.

This was the final resting place of St. James the apostle who had brought Christianity to the Iberian peninsular, was beheaded in Jerusalem and his remains returned to Galicia.

The remains were lost in the 3rd Century before being found again in 814 AD. A church was then built on the site but was destroyed during the Moorish invasion. After the reconquest a cathedral was started in 1075 and consecrated in 1211.

It has always been an important place of pilgrimage but suffered through the many european wars. It has lately undergone a revival, in 1985 there were 690 pilgrims, in 2014 there were 237,886.

A university was added in 1495. Here are a selection of photos of the city and the cathedral. Unfortunately it was undergoing repair at the time.

A view of the cathedral for a park nearby.

City architecture

Cathedral interior

Another

Interior again, the activity is the installation of the traditional nativity scene.

Cathedral exterior – it is huge.

A famous shrine