There were two churches with the construction of this magnificent cathedral. The first church built in honor of Santiago (Saint Jacques) was at the beginning of the 9th century after the discovery of the body of the apostle in the same period. It was replaced in 899 by a larger pre-Romanesque church. After its destruction by the Berbers, they ransacked the city in 997. The current cathedral is a Romanesque building, built in granite, whose work began in 1075 and was completed in 1211. It was consecrated the same year in the presence of King Alphonse IX of Leon. It is one of the most representative achievements of the type of large Romanesque church dedicated to the worship of relics and pilgrimages.

The cathedral has a plan of three naves, a vast transept with side aisles and galleries, an ambulatory bedside surrounded by a belt of radiating chapels. Its interior dimensions are 97m (418ft) by 67m (220ft) and a height of 32m (105ft). Each of its facades forms, with its respective squares, magnificent urban ensembles. That of the Obradoiro, a masterpiece of Baroque style, then that of the Acibecharía is also Baroque, that of the Praterías, and above all, the Porch of Glory, the summit of Romanesque sculpture executed. This porch is made up of three half-point arches, the central one divided by a trumeau, where we find the image of the master Mateo. In the jambs, the Apostles and the prophets maintain sacred conversations. In the tympanum, the Savior surrounded by the four Evangelists. You can also discover the Crypt of the apostle Saint Jacques le Majeur. It is located under the main altar of the basilica (in the center), it was set up in the 19th century, after the authentication of the relics in 1884 by Pope Leo XIII.

Despite its monumental dimensions, the Cathedral of Compostela is not only the largest Romanesque church in Spain, but also one of the largest in Europe, it gives a general impression of slenderness due to the remarkable structuring of the various elements, a particularity that is obvious when compared to certain French models.

Here are some images taken inside the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The exterior is as grand as the interior. On the other hand, do not go there during a ceremony, you will not be able to take a picture. I remained a little unsatisfied because the interior was being repaired. I avoided as much as possible so as not to show the scaffolding and it is not easy.