The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela: goal of pilgrims
Without a doubt, it is no longer so, but when it was invented - or rather, when the Way was reinvented, since these and the pilgrimages are as old as the world - Santiago and its cathedral were the goal of a very special journey; a dangerous journey, but also fantastic and transcendental, whose vicissitudes set in motion again the spirit of a high medieval West that still shuddered in the darkness after the fall of the Roman Empire, the uncontainable advance of the Muslim cavalry and the unstoppable dread towards a world holocaust or end of the world, which was ominously predicted with the approach of the end of the millennium.
By land, generally, but also through that sea -barrier, for the superstitious mentality of the people of the time, but master, comparatively speaking, whose waves deposited on the beaches and coasts part of a Knowledge that would soon become legend and worship, including the wonderful arrival of the Apostle's own remains in a stone boat, to achieve, with his presence and devotion, light a third bonfire, which would soon become one of the most important lights of Christianity , along with those of Rome and Jerusalem.
But Compostela and its cathedral are, of course, much more than a simple and cold study referred to stylistic, statistical and artistic areas, which have been nourished and expanded over time as a huge and monumental mechanism.
Nothing remains, for example, of that first church built by the first known historical pilgrim - King Chaste, Alfonso II -, hardly known the news of the discovery of the sacred remains. Little or nothing we know of the main architects that took part in the construction of the foundations that we see now, except that masterful Master Mateo, to which all the world makes reference at present, was considered, until relatively recent times, as an obscure architect of the Court of King Ferdinand II of León.
Or that another of the great masters who intervened, Maestro Esteban, is better known for having intervened in the execution of the cathedral of Pamplona, than for the Puerta de Platerías of the Compostela cathedral that is attributed to him, not being even mentioned by Aymeric Picaud in his famous Codex Calistino.
A Path and a History that, a millennium later, reawakens passions and the attention of thousands of pilgrims who move painfully towards that primitive Campus Stellae following the course marked by the stars.
Speaking of Compostela and its cathedral, dedicated to the controversial figure of the Apostle Saint James, the Son of Thunder - like Thor, that combative Norse god who worshiped the same Normans and Vikings who continuously ravaged the Galician coast -, is to speak, by default, of History and Spirit; of characters and mysteries; of chronicles and legends; of miracles and battles; of devotion and picaresque; of the cult to the old lares of the roads; of the Finis Terrae, extending the ancient route of the Celts and other peoples of Antiquity.
In short: of a Path of learning and suffering. But above all, of a Way of Faith.
There could be no better colophon for this short, but I hope that interesting trip through the Romanesque and the history of one of the most unique Galician communities, such as La Coruña.
NOTICE: Originally published in my blog ROMÁNICA, ENIGMAS DEL ROMÁNICO ESPAÑOL. Both the text and the photographs that accompany it are my exclusive intellectual property. The original entry, where you can check the authorship of juancar347, can be found at the following address: https://juancar347-romanica.blogspot.com/2015/03/la-catedral-de-santiago-meta-de.html
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[Martial, latin poet]
Amazing photos! What a cathedral! Beautiful :)
Thank you very much, friend. It is a really impressive cathedral. regards
Awesome photos, I can only imagine how awe inspiring it must have been standing inside that place. Thanks for sharing :)
Thank you very much for your kind comment. It is impressive and at the same time exciting, to be able to step on a place with so much energy, with so much antiquity, with so many enigmas and with so much history. On the occasion I was there, a Mass was being celebrated in commemoration of the German pilgrims, who in an impressive number had made the Camino de Santiago. The Way is Culture, Solidarity and above all Friendship. And in the cathedral of Santiago everything is focused. Thanks again and a big hug from Spain.
Hello @juancar347, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!
A lot of thanks