Apostles

THE APOSTLES : M.M.NINAN
A small church was first built over the tomb of St. James shortly after it was discovered in 819 AD.
This was destroyed by al-Mansur's Moorish army in 997, though Almansor left the relics of the
Apostle undisturbed. He did, however, force Santiago's citizens to carry the bells of the tower to
the mosque in Cordoba (they have since been returned).
Despite its Baroque facade, the present cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is predominantly
Romanesque; in fact, one of the finest Romanesque churches in Spain. Construction began in
1060 in the reign of Alfonso VI and was completed in 1211.
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
Various elements were added in later centuries, culminating in the dramatic Baroque
transformation of the exterior in the 16th-18th centuries. The interior of the cathedral, however,
retains its pure Early Romanesque style.
The remains of St. James, the raison d'
Actually, three skeletons were found, presumed to be James and two of his disciples. The one
belonging to the Apostle was identified thanks to a church in Tuscany, which possessed a piece of