Tomb of St James and Disciples Santiago de Compostela
by James Brunker
Title
Tomb of St James and Disciples Santiago de Compostela
Artist
James Brunker
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
A close up of stone carvings on the main western Obradoiro Facade of Santiago de Compostela's cathedral (which towers over the Plaza Obradoiro / Praza do Obradoiro) in northwest Spain. The site has been a major pilgrimage destination since the 9th century when, according to legends, the long lost tomb with the body of St James the Great (one of the apostles who brought Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula) was discovered. King Alfonso II ordered a church to be built on the site; this building has since been replaced by the current cathedral. These carvings show the tomb of St James in the centre, either side are his 2 aides Teodoro and Atanasio who accompanied St James to Galicia and were supposedly buried alongside him. The tomb is surrounded by angels, above it is the star representing the lights the hermit Pelagius supposedly saw in the 9th century that led to the discovery of the burial site. The cathedral and Santiago de Compostela's Old Town were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
Photograph © James Brunker. Reproduction, transmission or use in any form without written permission strictly prohibited.
Uploaded
August 24th, 2020
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Comments (2)
Seaux-N-Seau Soileau
Wonderful capture!! So many details!! I've always wanted to visit his tomb and looking at this image makes me feel like I'm there!!
James Brunker replied:
Thank you! Santiago de Compostela is well worth visiting if you ever get the chance, it's a beautiful historic town with plenty to see as well as the famous cathedral
James Harrell
Congratulations on your well deserved feature in the "Photographs from Spain" Group. If you like you can add this photo to the Feature Archives post in the discussion section, by copying and pasting the "embed" link on your photo page.
James Brunker replied:
Many thanks for featuring this image in the Photographs from Spain group James!