Church of Saint James (A Coruña)
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
On a visit to the historic centre of the city of A Coruña, it is almost mandatory to visit the Church of Saint James. This Romanesque styleChristian temple was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1972.
This temple is presumed to be the oldest in the city and was built in difficult conditions due to the unevenness of the terrain. This distortion made it necessary to build an atrium accessed by a double-ramp stairway. Its construction is estimated to have taken place in the second half of the 12th century, although it underwent some modifications in subsequent centuries. That is why different architectural styles coexist in harmony on its façade.
Inside it contains works of artistic value with beautiful finishes. Examples of this are two carvings of the Virgin pregnant and giving suck. In addition, it has Roman carvings from the Tower of Hercules from the second century AD. On the main façade is a p15th-century tympanum portraying Saint James the Apostle on the back of a horse accompanied by two male figures on the jambs.
Previously it had two towers, one with the clock bells and another where deeds, ammunition, gunpowder and even things from the city were kept. Currently, these two towers do not exist, but books and portraits refer to their existence.
The wall of the church contains hidden enigmas from over the years that are still striking, for example, crosses, stars, shells and hammers, among others.
This temple is presumed to be the oldest in the city and was built in difficult conditions due to the unevenness of the terrain. This distortion made it necessary to build an atrium accessed by a double-ramp stairway. Its construction is estimated to have taken place in the second half of the 12th century, although it underwent some modifications in subsequent centuries. That is why different architectural styles coexist in harmony on its façade.
Inside it contains works of artistic value with beautiful finishes. Examples of this are two carvings of the Virgin pregnant and giving suck. In addition, it has Roman carvings from the Tower of Hercules from the second century AD. On the main façade is a p15th-century tympanum portraying Saint James the Apostle on the back of a horse accompanied by two male figures on the jambs.
Previously it had two towers, one with the clock bells and another where deeds, ammunition, gunpowder and even things from the city were kept. Currently, these two towers do not exist, but books and portraits refer to their existence.
The wall of the church contains hidden enigmas from over the years that are still striking, for example, crosses, stars, shells and hammers, among others.
Location
What to see in A Coruña
