![]() Our research represents the potential of multidisciplinary analyses to reveal insights into the origins and impacts of the emergence of early pilgrimage centres on the diets and status of communities within Christian mediaeval Europe and beyond. Stable isotope analysis of collagen, together with information on tomb typology and location, indicates that the inhabitants of the city experienced increasing socioeconomic diversity as it became wealthier as the hub of a wide network of pilgrimage. Isotopic analyses reveal that the foundation of the religious site attracted migrants from the wider region of the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly from further afield. Together with assessment of the existing archaeological data, our radiocarbon chronology broadly confirms historical tradition regarding the first occupation of the site. Here, for the first time, we combine multi-isotope analysis (δ 13C, δ 15N, δ 18O ap, δ 13C ap and 87Sr/ 86Sr) and radiocarbon dating ( 14C) of human remains discovered at the crypt of the Cathedral of Santiago to directly study changes in diet and mobility during the first three centuries of Santiago’s emergence as an urban centre (9th–12th centuries AD). Little is known about the practical experiences of people living within the city during its rise to prominence, however. The belief that the remains of St James the Great, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, is buried there has stimulated, since their reported discovery in the 9th century AD, a significant flow of people from across the European continent and beyond. This city certainly seems capable of keeping you here.Santiago de Compostela is, together with Rome and Jerusalem, one of the three main pilgrimage and religious centres for Catholicism. Many people say that taking the Way and arriving in Santiago is an adventure that can change your life. Beyond the winding streets and the stone mansions, the modern side of Santiago can be seen around the university area, in its art galleries, and above all in two places: the Galician Contemporary Art Centre and Cidade da Cultura by the New York architect Peter Eisenman, one of the most surprising examples of Galicia’s contemporary architecture. ![]() You can also feel the real atmosphere of Santiago on Calle Franco and Calle Raiña, in the heart of the old town, where locals and visitors have been enjoying tapas “since forever” and where you will find plenty of restaurants for trying octopus “a feira”, scallops, Santiago cake or wines like Albariño, considered one of the world’s best white wines. Here you can buy and taste seafood fresh from the rías, cheeses and Padrón peppers, or try the famous tapas. To be tempted by delicious smells and tastes, and see why Galicia’s food is so famous, there’s nothing like a visit to the Mercado de Abastos food market, the second most visited place in the city. An example is the quiet Alameda Park and the viewing point of Monte do Gozo, with sculptures of pilgrims which have starred in so many photographs. It’s curious that even the far outskirts of the city seem as if they were designed for admiring the Cathedral. ![]() There is a ritual for visiting the Cathedral for the first time: admire the Portico de la Gloria, embrace the figure of Saint James on the main altar, go down to the crypt, go up to the rooftop (what a view!) and if you’re lucky, see the botafumeiro (an enormous censer) in action-they only use it on religious holidays or if requested in advance.Īround the Cathedral, every step is a discovery, with other very charming squares such as Praterías (with the best view of the belltower, La Berenguela) or Quintana with its pretty stairs and other monuments like the imposing Monastery of San Martiño Pinario. On this square you’re likely to see pilgrims with their inevitable walking sticks and scallop shells. Life in the city seems to revolve around this point, the site of the Cathedral, Raxoi Palace, and the luxurious Hostal de los Reyes Católicos, said to be the world’s oldest hotel. Perhaps the most special place in Santiago is Plaza del Obradoiro.
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