Palacio de Gelmírez and Exhibition St. Francis and His Time. Santiago de Compostela. Part 1.

We visit the Palacio de Gelmírez (the Palace of Gelmirez) and San Francisco y su Tiempo (St. Francis and His Time) Exhibition in Santiago de Compostela. The exhibition commemorates, together with other events, the VIII centenary of the pilgrimage of St. Francis of Assisi to Santiago.

Coordinates to find the location of the Palacio de Gelmírez in Santiago de Compostela: 42.880825, -8.545178




The story begins with the arrival to the Plaza del Obradoiro in which are the main façade and entrance to the Palacio.

The passageway under the Palacio that connects Plaza de la Inmaculada with Plaza del Obradoiro:

42.881029, -8.544953


The door we can see in the lower part of the picture under the arch is of the Salón de Armas of the Palacio we will see when we visit the different rooms inside. The window over the arch is of the Salón de Fiestas or Refectory or Salón Real or Salón de Banquetes or Salón Sinodial or Salón de Ceremonias (the most outstanding room of the Palacio is known as all these names). Part of this Salón de Fiestas is situated over the passageway.

View in more detail of the door, the narrow window over the door and the other window, all of the Salón de Armas.

These are the vaults over the passageway.

Now we see the passageway from the Plaza del Obradoiro with the access stairs. The window we can see in the upper part of the picture is the one situated in the Salón de Fiestas that we will explain when we see the Salón.

42.880959, -8.545334


The passageway and the Palacio are seen from the Plaza del Obradoiro.

42.880972, -8.545457

The Palacio is seen from the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos in Plaza del Obradoiro.

42.881013, -8.545553

The old palace residence of Archbishop Diego Gelmírez was destroyed by a popular revolt in 1117. From the year 1120 the archbishop began the construction of the present day palace.

It was subsequently restored by Pedro Suarez de Deza (1180) and extended in the 13^th century by Archbishop Juan Arias (1260) and archbishops Lope de Mendoza (15^th century) and Alonso de Fonseca (16^th century).

In the 18^th century a third floor above the existing two is built. This fact motivated the construction of a new Baroque façade, the present one, to strengthen the walls of the original Romanesque façade.

El Palacio de Gelmírez is one of the few examples of Romanesque civil buildings which are still standing.

We will see the different rooms of the Exhibition located in the most important rooms of the Palacio: the medieval kitchen, the rooms called “espacios góticos”, the Salón de Fiestas and the Salón de Armas.


Baroque façade of the Palacio.

42.880731, -8.545423

This is the entrance door to the Palace. Once in the interior we see the reception area for visitors to the Palace and the various exhibitions held at any time. Is located here the Romanesque doorway, the original entrance which is in the interior after the construction of the new façade in the 18^th century.

Upon entering the lobby we see these two panels of the Exhibition San Francisco y su Tiempo (St. Francis and His Time) that receive the visitor.

From here we look to the left and see the access door to the Espacio Divulgativo sobre el Pórtico de la Gloria, it is an exhibition space about the Portico of Glory located in the Salón de Armas, which we will see later.

Panel 1. It introduces visitors to the exhibition. This panel has no title. Transcription:

In 1214, St. Francis of Assisi made a pilgrimage to Santiago. This exhibition recalls that tradition, representing the spirit of the Way of St. James and Franciscan sensibilities. By the early 13^th century, people around Europe were familiar with this spiritual journey to the end of the earth. Some made the pilgrimage west, following an international route that had been established some time earlier. The pilgrimage to Compostela, symbolic beacon of his time, was made in the early years of the order, when the number of friars was still few and no monasteries had yet been founded, according to the famous Chapter IV of Little Flowers of St. Francis.

Capitals located to the left if we look from the entrance to the lobby, in the central arch, beside the two panels that present the exhibition.

Vault.

Capitals located to the right also in the central arch.

In the lobby is also situated the second panel of the exhibition, titled Gateway to the Camino. Transcription:

Gateway to the Camino.

Before setting foot on the route to Compostela, a medieval pilgrim would begin his journey at the gate of his church or city. This departure is depicted in a fresco dating from the late 15^th century, originally located Porta San Giacomo in the city of Assisi; an image of the Madonna by Andrea d´Assisi, disciple of Perugino. Pilgrims would find themselves in the presence of the sacred in churches and cathedrals that boasted examples of architecture parlante on their façades. A fragment of door post with apostles from León Cathedral depicts the lighted temples along the Way of St. James, symbolic image of Celestial Jerusalem.

The expulsión of the demonds from Arezzo (detail). Giotto and his workshop, late thirteenth century – early fourteenth. Upper Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi (Italy).

Illuminated panel with the title: The Way of Saint James and the itinerary of St. Francis of Assisi.

Pillar with two apostolic figures, coming from the door of the early Gothic Cathedral of León. Workshop of León. 12^th and 13^th centuries. Granite. Museo Catedralicio Diocesano. Catedral de León.

After seeing this room in the lobby with the first two panels, we go outside the building. From here you can see part of the north facade of the Basilica of the Cathedral, in which we see two coats of arms and some corbels. (We will see it in Part 2).

End of Part 1.

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6