old town of Santiago de Compostela
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How it came to be
The area of Santiago de Compostela was a Roman cemetery by the 4th century. In the reign of Alfonso II of Asturias, Bishop Theodemar of Iria claimed to have found remains attributed to Saint James, and according to UNESCO's evaluation a basilica rose on the spot around 818. A pilgrimage town grew around it, known to the writer Usuard by 865.
Viking raiders attacked repeatedly in the 10th century, and Bishop Sisenand II was killed fighting them in 968. In 997 the Andalusian leader al-Mansur assaulted and partly destroyed the town but left the apostle's tomb untouched. The town was rebuilt around the tomb in the 11th century, and in the 12th century, under Bishop Diego Gelmírez, Compostela became an archbishopric.
Work on the cathedral continued through the 12th century, closing with the Pórtico de la Gloria in 1188, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1211. In 1492 the Catholic Monarchs founded a hospice for pilgrims, and the Baroque Obradoiro façade was added to the cathedral in 1738–1750. The old town, with its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, was inscribed in 1985.
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