The
Pilgrimage Museum
e de Santiago is located in the building of the old Banco de España, located a few meters from the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in the historic Praza das Praterías.
The origin of the institution is due to a joint initiative of the central and local administrations at the end of 1951. The objective was to design a museum that would address the birth and evolution of the city of Santiago de Compostela and the phenomenon of the pilgrimage. The main architect of the project was Manuel Chamoso Lamas.
Despite this, the initial location of this museum facility was planned for the Gothic House, a historic building dating from the 14th century that has undergone several extensions over time.
However, the lack of space led the different administrations involved in the project to look for a more appropriate building for such an initiative.
This led to the collaboration of the Consorcio de Santiago and the management work to achieve the transfer, in 2004, of the headquarters of the Banco de España in the city, where it is currently located.
Designed by Romualdo Madariaga, this building was constructed on the site of the Espinosa houses in 1949.
The architect Manuel Gallego was in charge of remodeling the building, which resulted in the creation and consolidation of the Museo das Peregrinacións e de Santiago.
The space has about 3,500 square meters of floor space and is part of a museum complex with another facility in the area, the Casa do Cabido, from 2021.
Its program includes all kinds of exhibitions on Galician cultural heritage and historical research, especially on the Pilgrims’ Roads to Santiago de Compostela and pilgrimages at international level.
Thus, the museum seeks to become an open-door forum for all those creators who offer exhibition projects that combine artistic quality and a strong documentary dimension.
Visiting hours are Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sundays and holidays from 10:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with free admission.