The Sacred Art Museum, accessed through the church of the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares, contains the Ara (Altar) de Antealtares, the original altar (a recycled Roman funerary plaque) raised over Santiago's relics. The church itself is of relatively simple design, except for its main altar, a frenzy of gilded baroque. You can stop by at 8pm (7.30pm Saturday and Sunday) to hear the nuns singing vespers.
Museo de Arte Sacro
Santiago de Compostela
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Catedral de Santiago de Compostela
0.09 MILES
The grand heart of Santiago, the cathedral soars above the city in a splendid jumble of spires and sculpture. Built piecemeal over several centuries, its…
0.13 MILES
The grand square in front of the cathedral's western facade earned its name (Workshop Sq) from the stonemasons' workshops set up here while the cathedral…
27.97 MILES
Galicia's most spectacularly sited prehistoric settlement is poised majestically on a wind-blasted headland overlooking the Atlantic waves, 4km southwest…
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0.11 MILES
The Cathedral Museum spreads over four floors and incorporates the cathedral's large 16th-century cloister. You'll see a sizeable section of Maestro Mateo…
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0.13 MILES
Stretching across the northern end of Praza do Obradoiro, the Hostal dos Reis Católicos was built in the early 16th century by order of the Catholic…
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Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago
0.08 MILES
The brightly displayed Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago gives fascinating insights into the phenomenon of Santiago (man, city and pilgrimage) down the…
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23.03 MILES
This 18th-century country mansion, 13km northeast of Cambados, is surrounded by wonderful gardens containing 800 flower species, a large albariño vineyard…
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28.51 MILES
The handsome 17th-century Pazo de Fefiñáns steals the show on visits to the small, family-run winery that's housed in it. The basic one-hour tour (€7)…
Nearby Santiago de Compostela attractions
1. Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares
0.02 MILES
The long, stark wall of the Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares faces the cathedral's east end across Praza da Quintana. Founded by Alfonso II in the 9th…
0.04 MILES
Broad Praza da Quintana opens up outside the cathedral's eastern end. The cathedral's Puerta Santa here is opened only in holy years: it's flanked by 24…
0.04 MILES
The cathedral's Puerta Santa, giving access to the cathedral from Praza da Quintana, is opened only in holy years (2021, 2027). Constructed between 1611…
4. Museo de San Martiño Pinario
0.05 MILES
The enormous church of the huge baroque Benedictine monastery of San Martiño Pinario is open to visitors as part of a museum that's well worth a visit…
0.06 MILES
On the cathedral's north side, this is where most pilgrims arriving in Santiago first set eyes on the cathedral. Opposite looms the huge, austerely…
6. Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago
0.08 MILES
The brightly displayed Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago gives fascinating insights into the phenomenon of Santiago (man, city and pilgrimage) down the…
0.08 MILES
'Silversmiths' Square' is centred on an elegant 1825 fountain, the Fuente de los Caballos, a popular photo op, with the cathedral's Romanesque south…
0.08 MILES
The plaza on the cathedral's south side focuses on Fuente de los Caballos fountain (1825), a popular photo op, with four elegant horses surmounted by a…