Lugo & Santiago de Compostela

We rented a car for two days to explore the Galicia interior and went to Lugo and of course Santiago.

Leaving early from La Coruna we had a morning stroll on top of the impressive and completely intact Roman wall surrounding the town. Lugo’s cathedral is inspired by and built after the Cathedral of Santiago.

Visiting Santiago is visiting its Cathedral, believed to be build over the tomb of the apostle St. James (Jacobus in Dutch). The cities’ fame is based on a rather incongruous story. St. James was decapitated in Jerusalem by the Romans in 44 AD. His remains were transported in an unattended stone boat that beached in Padron, present Iria Flavia. Thereafter the remains were buried 20 Km inland in an uninhabited area that would later become Compostela. In 813 the light of a star guided a shepherd to the burial site (Compo-stela = field of stars). Bishop Teodomiro declared that the remains were those of St. James (based on??). King Alfonso II believed the story and ordered the construction of a chapel. The first shrine was destroyed in 997 by the Muslim commander Almansur. Construction of what eventually became this famous cathedral started in 1075. The name Santiago is derived from Sanctu Iacobu.

The story is, of course, surrounded by controversie. St James is the patron saint of Spain since it is believed he has spend time there to preach the gospel. However according to the early Church he never left Jerusalem. Only in the Epistle of the Romans, written AFTER 44 AD he had preached in both Iberia and in the Holy land. According to T. E. Kendrick “even if one admits the existence of miracles, James’ presence in Spain is impossible”.

Whatever, the church and the city are thriving.

A visit of the Cathedral Museum is time well spend and we think the below two artefacts stand out.

The left panel; Jesus invites James to leave his fishing nets and to become his disciple. On the next panel the now resurrect Jesus gives his apostles the permission to go forth and preach the gospel. The center panel shows the apostel James preaching. The next panel shows his decapitation and the panel to the far right shows the transport by boat to Spain.

The Battle of Lepanto is one of the great and important sea battles in the history of Europe. Had the Christian fleet sunk off Western Greece in 1571, Europe would have looked different. Pope Pius V organised a Holy League of Rome, Venice, Spain and others. The fleet under command of admiral Don Juan of Austria defeated the Ottomans, ending Turkish naval domination in the Eastern Mediterranean for a brief period.

Note the two headed eagle crest of the Habsburg monarchy, who provided funds for the battle. The Habsburgs waged a landwar against the Ottomans mainly around Vienna.

There is so much more to see in this lively historical town with its pilgrims, souvenir-shops, street musicians, bars and buildings. Highly recommended for a visit, pilgrim or tourist.

This man is playing a medieval “Hammer Dulcema”. In the 14th century the holy inquisition burned musicians and instruments due to their hypnotic power and their diabolical sound.