Santiago de Compostela, a prilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages.

Santiago de Compostela was declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1985, in view of its urban beauty and monumental integrity, as well as the profound echoes of its spiritual significance as an apostolic sanctuary and the destination of the Middle Ages’ most important religious and cultural movement: the Way of St. James pilgrimage.
The legend that St James found his way to the Iberian peninsula, and had preached there is one of a number of early traditions concerning the missionary activities and final resting places of the apostles of Jesus. Although the 1884 Bull of Pope Leo XIII Omnipotens Deus accepted the authenticity of the relics at Compostela, the Vatican remains uncommitted as to whether the relics are those of Saint James the Great, while continuing to promote the more general benefits of pilgrimage to the site. According to a tradition that can be traced before the 12th century, the relics were said to have been discovered in 814 by Theodomir, bishop of Iria Flavia in the west of Galicia. Theodomir was guided to the spot by a star, the legend affirmed, drawing upon a familiar myth-element, hence “Compostela” was given an etymology as a corruption of Campus Stellae, “Plain of Stars.”

As suggested already, it is probably impossible to know whose bones were actually found, and precisely when and how. Perhaps it does not matter. What the history of the pilgrimage requires, but what the meagre sources fail to reveal, is how the local Galician cult associated with the saint was transformed into an international cult drawing pilgrims from distant parts of the world.

The 1000 year old pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is known in English as the Way of St. James and in Spanish as the Camino de Santiago. Over 100,000 pilgrims travel to the city each year from points all over Europe, and other parts of the world..

As the lowest-lying land on that stretch of coast, the city’s site took on added significance. Legends supposed of Celtic origin made it the place where the souls of the dead gathered to follow the Sun across the sea.

Santiago de Compostela, a family holiday destination by Siza.

“I will go to Santiago, said my father. We walked, from square to square, around the Cathedral –a progression of spaces and levels descending the hill. Workers were repairing the pavement, and I pitied the smothered stones, uncomfortable and ancient as they were each one as precious as a Moore piece. My displeasure forgotten, before me lay the granite of Galicia: forty years had sweetened its arrises and defects. One of the squares left me disturbed, breathless. What most saddened me was that near-bear façade, almost unjustly magistral (capable of inspiring outrage, as if it had been built by no one). An enormous wall, with high, repetitive windows which were not even regular, protruding grating; a continuous stone bench –a mere detail, save its magical proportion. A high wall, opposite exquisite beauty and more precious splendour, these latter superimpoused upon who knows which first stone. A wall delimiting a monotonous, vibrant square –oscilltion between nothingness and magnetic presence. It all appeared built to glorify two or three paralysed figures: pilgrims, satellites of imperceptible movement, mute, their feet ten centimetres off the ground atop another probable cover.” Siza 1988

PLAZA  DE  QUINTANA /  PLAZA  DO  TOURAL  /  PLAZA  DO  OBRADOIRO  /  RÚA  DO  VILAR

Google maps

University of Santiago

Tourism, City of Santiago

Museums, City of Santiago

Galician Contemporary Arts Center

City of Culture

Eugenio Granell Foundation

Pilgrimage Museum

Natural history, University of Santiago

Galician Museums

Galicia Auditorium

NASA arts

Galán Theatre

Compostela Architecture Institute:  Summer Program APPLICATION FORM 2010

CA_Application

|CA|  Summer Program Scholarship Application Form

Selection Process

All applications will be reviewed by the direction of the CA | COMPOSTELAarchitecture Institute summer program|  . Portfolios are very important in the consideration of the applications. The direction of the CA institute will notify the selection decisions to all applicants by regular mail by the last week of May (refer to: Deadlines).

All the materials  should be only sent digitally  by EMAIL to :   mail@CAinstitute.es

C.V

C.V with the application form should be attached a 1 page  C.V. |Din A4 or 8,5″ x 11″ | The C.V. sould be written in English.

Portfolio

Attached with this application should be included a short portfolio of 3 pages | Din A3 – 11″x17″ (landscape) | produced in pdf format with samples of recent work that the student would consider most relevant.

Recommendation letters are not going to be considered

English

Non English native speakeres should attach any proof of their English Knolowdge. Toefl, Ietl|6|, etc

Deadline

Extend the deadline until Friday 4th JUNE.

Applications received after JUNE 4th  could be considered, but would go firts to a Waiting list.

Accommodation

THE ACCOMMODATION  IS NOT INCLUDED  but CAinstitute would help to find it.

Fees

The total FEE amount is 2300 euros

The total tuition Fee for the  CA  should be paid before 7 June.

A nonrefundable down payment of 300€ is required from all applicants who accept the CA offer for admission. The fee must be paid before 24 May, after having received the acceptation letter to the CA.

Non Application FEE is requested

Cancellation Politic : If  CA would not accept a minimun number of 20 students the program could be canceled before 1st of June.

*This FEE, covers the tuition to attend, the lectures, workshops, charrettes, tours&trips part of the compostela summer program,  listed in our web page.

Scholarships.

Seeking academic excellence and hoping to attract top students, the  Compostela Architecture Institute  will promote a scholarship program for applicants to the  CA Summer program with exceptional academic or professional profiles.

Credits

The CA summer school will give a certificate of completion of the program.

Timetable

The Summer 2010 COMPOSTELA ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM starts on Tuesday, July 27th and ends on Tuesday August 17th. The program is conducted entirely in English.

The city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, is an ideal location for the study of contemporary issues in architecture since it boasts many recently completed buildings by internationally renown contemporary architects. It is also an old Medieval City and it has a rich architectural tradition.

This program will allow students to experience architecture in a very physical and direct way through visits to different types of buildings and also to major construction-sites, allowing them to gain knowledge that is both intellectual and applied.

Calendar

|CA| calendar

Brochure

| CA | Brochure

CA

COMPOSTELA architecture

Summer Program Coordinator

Galicia | Spain

mail@CAinstitute.es

The programs runs from Tuesday 27 July to Tuesday 17 August.

|CA| calendar

COMPOSTELA SUMMER ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM will take advantage of the city’s great architectural heritage.  It will include visits to the monasteries and churches from the middle ages as well as to the recently erected buildings designed by some of the most internationally recognized contemporary architects.  Santiago is a privileged location where we will discuss new issues in architecture, surrounded by buildings from different periods and ideologies.

This program will allow students to experience architecture in a very physical and direct way through visits to different types of buildings and also to major construction-sites, allowing them to gain knowledge that is both intellectual and applied.  The program will integrate students in the historical context of the city of Santiago de Compostela, to experience walking, travelling, and living among architectural masterpieces.

In addition, this program will focus on issues of sustainability in contemporary architecture. Lectures and seminars will discuss new technologies and new approaches to create more sustainable buildings within a new context.

These different dimensions of learning will be smoothly integrated into a single coherent educational program, complemented by the spiritual experience of own architectural pilgrimage.

SANTIAGO  CITY OF ARCHITECTURES

http://www.santiagoturismo.com/tour/