Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia in the north-west of Spain. The city’s cathedral contains the tomb of the Apostle St. James and since the Middle Ages pilgrims have travelled from around the world to visit it. The cathedral is truly impressive and is well worth a visit regardless of your beliefs. In 1993 it was declared a World Heritage Site.

puerta santa santiagoThis year is a special year as it is the “Xacobeo 2010″ – a Jubilee year. This only occurs when the feast of  St. James falls on a Sunday. On the eve of the Jubilee year a special ceremony is held to open the “Holy Gate” – which is in fact sealed by a wall and is knocked down by three strikes of a silver hammer- to mark the beginning of the Jubilee year.

If you want to learn more about the “Xacobeo” click on the Xacobeo Blog



Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)

2 Comments to “A Special Year for Santiago de Compostela”

  1.   conchi | January 9th, 2010 at 7:52 pm

    Santiago de Compostela is a jewel in the crown of Galicia!

    [Reply]

  2.   Mrs. Yollis | January 11th, 2010 at 3:29 am

    Dear Conchi,

    I used to teach English in Spain in the early 90s. The time I spent there was fantastic. One of the places I explored was Santiago de Compostela. It was a memorable visit.

    Thanks,
    Linda
    P.S. Thanks for the nice comment you left for my class on our blog! We appreciate that!

    [Reply]

Leave a Comment

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture.
Anti-Spam Image