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ROUTE THROUGH THE OLD AREA OF
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

The route starts from the Plaza de la Azabachería. Bordering the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario on the left, we end up in some alleys, the streets of the Campanas de San Xoán and Moeda Vella, where the ‘mint’ or coin minting workshops were located in the 12th and 13th centuries. In the square, looking up, we see above number 1 an old belfry that supported the bells of San Xoán.

Continuing along the Bells of San Xoán we arrive at Rúa da Troia. It is home to the ‘Casa da Troia’, a former student boarding house where the famous novel by Pérez Lugín is set and today a museum open during the tourist season. We continue until we find the steps of the Church of San Martiño Pinario. If we turn to the right we will reach the Church and Plaza de San Miguel dos Agros, already very close to Las Algalias. Before the crossing, bordering the church, we can enter out of curiosity into the Xerusalén street, where there was once a hospital. This alley leads to the Azabachería and, further on, is the Plaza de Cervantes, near the Church of San Benito.

A walk to get to know the old city of Santiago de Compostela walking alongside history

From Cervantes we took towards the Civet of Arriba, seeing typical Compostela palaces, among them the one known as Torre de Don Pedro, one of the oldest houses in the city. Nearby is the Gothic House.

We resume the walk and leave Rúa dos Truques on our right, which converges with Civet Arriba. We continue to the Algalias square to find ourselves in front of the old San Roque Hospital. Before arriving, on the left we leave the narrow street of Santa Cristina, where a Franciscan hospital was located. We turn right until Plaza da Atalaya and from there we look for a very narrow alley that takes us back to the Algalia de Abaixo, the Pazo de Amarante and in front of it, at number 29, a medieval house, said to be the oldest in Santiago.

We continue along Civet to go down, to the left, along another alley that leads to Plaza Salvador Parga and admire its palaces, including Luaces and Fondevila. This is where in the ancient city enters the Camino of Santiago; and in front of the Church of the Souls the pilgrims stopped to commend the souls of their loved ones.

In Casas Reais we turn right along another small alley, Ruela das Ánimas, right in front of the Church, and head towards the Mercado de Abastos. On the way we will see the Canton of San Benito and its large porticoed palace. Beyond, San Agustín. We can continue towards the Mercado de Abastos, and through Mazarelos to reach Plaza do Toural; or return to the Plaza de Cervantes and from there go down the Preguntoiro, the commercial artery of the old city. Going down to Cinco Calles we take the alley on the right, Travesa da Universidade, and we find the garden statue of Alfonso el Casto. Later we will see the Plaza de Mazarelos, from which we connect with Orfas to finish our walk in O Toural.

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