Praza do Obradoiro

The Praza do Obradoiro is defined by the uneven, heavy granite paving stones that stretch toward the cathedral’s baroque facade. For centuries, pilgrims arrived here after months of travel to touch the central pillar inside the church. In seventeen forty-six, architect Clemente Fernandez Sarela finished the main square’s construction, framing the plaza with stone buildings that housed the pilgrims and the local government. A stone worker once carved his own name into the cathedral wall, a small mark among thousands of anonymous prayers.