What is the Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago?
The Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago is the institution responsible for safeguarding, organising and conserving the documentary heritage of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Its origin goes back to the founding of the Cathedral, since from the 9th century documents related to the religious, administrative and economic life of the temple and of the Jacobean pilgrimage have been preserved.
Over time, the archive has grown with the addition of collections from parishes, monasteries, brotherhoods and private donations. It is currently one of the most complete archives in Spain and a reference point for researchers studying the history of the Camino de Santiago.
History of the Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago
The first documents and the formation of the medieval archive
The oldest documents in the archive date back to the 9th and 10th centuries, when the Cathedral of Santiago began to receive donations and privileges from kings and nobles. Among the oldest archives, the cartularies stand out, which compile the deeds of donations and the royal privileges granted to the Cathedral. The medieval archive was organised around the documentation of the Cathedral’s fabric, the pilgrim hospitals and the brotherhoods.
The archive in the Early Modern and Modern eras
In the Early Modern era, the archive grew with new records from the Cathedral’s administration, the music chapel and the dependent parishes. In the 19th century, with the Mendizábal disentailment, the archive grew with documents from suppressed monasteries and convents. In the 20th century, the archive was modernised and moved to premises more suitable for its conservation.
Organisation and conservation today
Today, the Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago has climate-controlled facilities and advanced security systems in order to guarantee the conservation of the documents. The archive is managed by a team of archivists and has a digitisation plan that allows a large part of the collections to be consulted online. Restoration and preventive conservation work is also carried out to preserve the most fragile documents.
The most important documentary collections of the Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago
The Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago holds a wide variety of documents, from medieval parchments to musical records. These are the most important collections:
- The Codex Calixtinus: A 12th-century manuscript that includes the first guide to the Camino de Santiago and a collection of liturgical and musical works.
- The Tumbo A: Cartulary of the kings of Castile and León, which compiles the royal privileges and donations to the Cathedral between the 9th and 13th centuries.
- The fabric books: Accounting records of the construction and maintenance of the Cathedral, with information about artists, materials and costs.
- The pilgrimage archives: Credentials, pilgrim records and documentation from the hospitals and hostels along the Jacobean route.
- The musical collections: Scores and choir books that document the Cathedral’s musical activity over the centuries.
- The medieval cartularies and parchments: Collections of deeds, donations and privileges that form the documentary basis of the history of the Cathedral.
The Archive of the Cathedral and its relationship with the Camino de Santiago
The Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago is an important source for the study of the Camino de Santiago. The documents held in the archive document the history of the pilgrimage from its origins, and make it possible to reconstruct the evolution of the routes and where the hospitals and hostels that cared for pilgrims were located.
One of the most notable documents are the old credentials, the records of pilgrims who arrived in Santiago and the documentation of the hospitals. We can also find documents that reflect the work of the brotherhoods and religious orders.
How can you consult the Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago?
The Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago is open to researchers and the public, although access to the original documents requires prior authorisation and is subject to the archive’s conservation rules. Researchers must request an appointment and prove their academic status or justify their consultation.
The archive has now digitised a large part of its documents, and this digitisation makes it possible to access unique documents without having to travel to Santiago.
