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Quintana square

Quintana Square

Quintana square, with Platerías, Azabachería and Obradoiro Square, is one of the four spaces surrounding the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Quintana square covers the east side of the church. It is the most important square in the Jacobean tradition. It is the access to the Holy Door, the entrance for pilgrims who come during the Holy Year in search of the Jubilee.

The term “Quintana” is equivalent to “praça”, and both in medieval terminology used to refer to open-air spaces for public use. This square originally was divided into two parts: the Quintana de Mortos, a burial place until 1780, and the Quintana de Vivo. The division of the square into two was consolidated after the construction of the grand staircase.

Quintana de Mortos was used as a cemetery until, due to lack of space and for sanitary reasons, it was decided to bury in the cemetery of San Domingo de Bonaval. It was not until then when the Holy Door was established.

The buildings that are part of it

From Quintana Square, you can see the wall of the Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares, founded in the 9th century by Alfonso II. The discovery of the remains of the apostle Saint James led the king of Asturias to build this monastery to guard the body. A task assigned today to the cloistered Benedictine nuns who have lived in the building since the 15th century.

Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares. Photo: J. A. Gil Martínez.

Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares. Photo: J. A. Gil Martínez.

The altar found next to the tomb of Saint James is kept in the Monastery Church. The first altar with which, according to Jacobean tradition, Queen Lupa and the apostle’s disciples decorated the initial church built to worship him.

Next to the façade of the Cathedral stands the Clock Tower, whose verticality contrasts with the height of the Romanesque side of the church. To its right is the Royal Portico, from where the liturgical processions start. A Baroque-style wall extends to the Holy Door.

In the lower part of the square is located the Conga’s House or the Canónigos House. A complex made up of four Baroque-style houses built in 1709 by Domingo de Andrade and finished off by Fernando de Casas Novoa, the architect in charge of the façade of the Obradoiro.

Opposite, at the top of the steps, is the Parra’s House. Also, a baroque building, which was built for the Cathedral Chapter, and where the first town hall of Santiago was housed. It is currently an exhibition hall.

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