Royalty free Detail South Entrance - Cathedral Santiago Compostela premium stock photo

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Southern façade The southern façade is situated at the Praza das Praterias where, in times past, silver jewels were sold. This square is confined on two sides by the cathedral and the monastery. Adjacent is the city hall in the Rajoy palace. On the right side is the Baroque Clock Tower (Torre del Reloj) by Domindo de Andrade, dating from the 17th century. On the left is the Treasure Tower. This Puerta de las Platerias one of the best preserved portals. It leads to the south transept. This two-arched Romanesque portal shows us a series of juxtaposed scenes in bas-relief, sculpted between 1112 and 1117. These sculptors came from Conques (in the French Pyrenees), Toulouse, Moissac, Loarre and Jaca, resulting in a happy synthesis of their artistic traditions. Parts from the west façade and reliefs from the north portal were probably later integrated in this portal. The two tympanums give a disparate impression. The left tympanum shows us the Temptation of Christ in the desert. It is depicted in different fragments, giving a rather motley impression. On the right side of this tympanum one sees a half-dressed Woman Taken in Adultury with the skull of her lover in her lap (attributed to the Master of the Platerias). This probably refers to a legend from the Order of the Knights Templar or maybe a legend with Cathar origin. The right tympanum shows at its centre the flagellation of Christ; at the left side : the crowning with the Crown of Thorns and the healing of the blind; in the upper part : the Epiphany (rather damaged).