Monastery of San Martín Pinario

Anyone wandering through the old town of Santiago de Compostela ends up stumbling upon San Martín Pinario almost without looking for it. This Benedictine monastery has its roots in the 10th century, so its history runs parallel to that of the city of the Apostle itself and of the pilgrims who made their way there from all over Europe.

What strikes visitors most is that this is no building slumbering in the past. Its walls are still full of life: they house the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Santiago, the University School of Social Work, affiliated with the University of Santiago de Compostela, and the Compostela Theological Institute. Students, clergy and researchers thus share a space that for centuries was devoted to monastic life.

For the curious traveller, the natural way in is the Monastery Museum, which offers a glimpse of the riches of this former Benedictine house. Under the same roof is the Diocesan Historical Archive of Santiago de Compostela, a documentary treasure trove that makes the complex a key piece in understanding the religious and cultural memory of the diocese.

Its link with the Camino de Santiago has also earned international recognition. In 2015, when UNESCO approved the extension of the site inscribed in Spain under the name 'Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain', the monastery was included in the inventory of associated elements that Spain submitted as documentation. A visit, therefore, rounds off the pilgrimage experience with one of the places that best explains why Compostela became the destination of so many walkers.