Tour · Santiago di Compostela · Square
Praza da Quintana
A grand, sloping square behind the cathedral, divided into the square of the living and the square of the dead, and home to the Holy Door, opened only in Holy Years.
Su questo luogo
The Praza da Quintana is one of the most atmospheric squares in Santiago, a broad, sloping expanse of stone on the eastern side of the cathedral, enclosed by the great wall of the cathedral on one side and the long facade of a former convent on the other, reached by a flight of broad steps. The steps divide the square into two parts, known evocatively as the Quintana dos Vivos, the square of the living, above, and the Quintana dos Mortos, the square of the dead, below, the latter so called because it was once the site of the cathedral cemetery. The square's greatest treasure is the Porta Santa, the Holy Door, in the cathedral wall. This door is kept sealed and is opened only during Holy Years, those years when the feast of Saint James, the twenty-fifth of July, falls on a Sunday, allowing pilgrims to pass through it to gain a special indulgence.
Fatti principali
- 2 squares — Steps divide it into the square of the living and the square of the dead
- 1 holy door — The Porta Santa is opened only during Holy Years
- 25 July — A Holy Year falls when Saint James's feast, 25 July, lands on a Sunday
📍 Praza da Quintana de Mortos, 15705, Santiago de Compostela