Tours · Santiago de Compostela · Square
Praza da Inmaculada
The square at the north door of the cathedral, framed between the cathedral and the vast monastery, the point where pilgrims arriving on the main French Way traditionally first reached the shrine.
Sobre este lugar
The Praza da Inmaculada, also known by its older name of Azabachería, lies on the northern side of the cathedral, a somewhat austere but historically charged square squeezed between the cathedral's north facade and the towering front of the monastery of San Martiño Pinario. Its importance lies in the Camino: pilgrims arriving along the Camino Francés, the French Way, the main and most famous pilgrimage route across northern Spain, traditionally entered the city from the north and so reached the cathedral first at this square, pouring down into it to complete their journey. The square's old name, Azabachería, recalls the workshops of the azabacheiros, the craftsmen who worked azabache, or jet, the black gemstone traditionally carved into pilgrim souvenirs, amulets and images of Saint James, a craft for which Santiago remains famous to this day.
Datos clave
- 1 way — Pilgrims on the French Way traditionally reached the cathedral first at this square
- 1 craft — Its old name recalls the workshops that carve azabache, or jet
- 1 facade — The cathedral's north facade opens onto the square, facing the monastery
📍 Praza da Inmaculada 8, 15705, Santiago de Compostela