The 10 Best Museums In Santiago De Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital city of the beautiful Spanish northern region of Galicia. The city, an important pilgrimage destination, is filled with culture and history. Absorb some of the knowledge the history has to offer with this list of its top ten museums and galleries.

1. Museo da Catedral

Cathedral

Door of Catedral de Santiago de Compostela

Stretching across four floors, this museum has everything you need to learn about the city’s most impressive landmark – its cathedral. The museum features a large area of the architect Mateo’s original carved stone choir, which was sadly destroyed in 1604 but was later rebuilt. There’s also a great collection of religious art and even some medieval tombs.

Opening hours: 7:00am – 8:30pm Mon-Sun

2. Museo do Pobo Galego

Museum

Once a series of convent houses, the Museo do Pobo Gallego (Museum of Galicial People)is located to the northeast of the Old Town. Now a popular museum, these little convent houses are the homes of fascinating exhibits about daily Galician life, art and culture. With a whole range of items on show, from fishing boats to bagpipes, this museum provides a brilliant insight into the complex history and roots of Gallica.

Opening hours: 10.30am-2pm & 4-7.30pm Tue-Sat, 11am-2pm Sun

3. Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago

Museum

Located in a converted building in the Praza das Praterías, the Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago (Museum of Pilgrimage and of Santiago) is based on the epic pilgrimage towards Santiago that every year thousands of people embark on. The museum hosts changing exhibitions as well as a fascinating permanent collection, which features art, artifacts, models and memorabilia.

Opening hours: 10am-2pm & 5pm-8pm Tue-Sat, 11am-2pm Sun

4. Museo de Arte Sacra

Museum, Art Gallery

This museum displaying original Santiago relics is also a church. While it is a relatively simplistic church, the altar stands out with an explosion of baroque design and color. Come by in the late afternoon to peep into the museum and stick around until the evening to hear the nuns singing.

Opening hours: 10.30am-1.30pm & 4-7pm Mon-Sat, 4-7pm Sun

5. Casa de Troya Museum

Museum

Santiago de Compostela is a university city and during term time the number of residents more than doubles due to the vast student population. The Casa da Troya museum recreates buzzing student atmosphere from past generations, resembling the famous boarding house run by ‘Doña Generosa’ at the end of the 19th century. This boarding house was made ever famous by the writer Alejandro Pérez Lugín in his novel La Casa de la Troya.

Opening hours: Tue-Sun, 11am – 2pm & 4pm – 8pm 12am – 10pm Fri, 12am – 2pm Sun

Museo de Terra Santa

Just minutes away from the hugely impressive Cathedral lies yet another beautiful building – the Convent of San Francisco. Once the home of Franciscan friars, this building which dates back to the 13th Century hosts in one of its cloisters the permanent exhibition of the Museo de Terra Santa (Holy Land Museum). The museum provides information about the Near East’s culture and history, linking Santiago and Jerusalem. It’s most stand-out feature is the impressive model of the Holy Sepulchre, crafted in Jerusalem over 60 years ago by Franciscan Fray Bartolome de las Heras-Burgos.

Address: Convento de San Francisco, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Spain