"Santiago de Compostela", Blog English, Country, Spain

Plaza of the Immaculate – Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Facing towards the north facade of the Cathedral we will find the Plaza de la Inmaculada framed by the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario. It is also known as the “Plaza de la Azabachería”, because it was the home of workshops dedicated to jet carving for a long time.

 

Today artisans still congregate in this square to create and sell their products, some using semiprecious stone jet and others, offering another variety of crafts.

The “Plaza de la Inmaculada” is the place where the last sections of the “Caminos de Santiago”, known as the French, English and Northern Ways, end to complete the journey to the” Puerta del Paraíso” (Gateway to Paradise) in the Cathedral. In fact, in the Middle Ages this square was known by the name of “Plaza del Paraíso” (Paradise Square).

It is precisely in the “Plaza de la Inmaculada”, where the “Fons Mirabilis” was located, a waterhole where the pilgrims cleansed before entering the cathedral. Currently, it can be found inside the Cloister of the Cathedral.

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