Has anyone been to Santiago de Compostela recently ? Would like to know whether the renovations of the cathedral (inside) and the facade are now complete ? Planning to take a bus from Braga, Portugal.
Thank you in advance.
I was there last August. I didn't see any scaffolding.
Do a Google search on it and you’ll find they are not holding any pilgrims’ services in the church right now due to renovations. That began the end of January and will last approximately a year. You can still see the crypt of St. James, but my guess is much of the interior has scaffolding. Based on the church website, the entrance is still through the Porta de Praterias, and not the main portico de Gloria entrance. I know it was being worked on when I visited in May 2017. The exterior work is complete.
From a blog: .The Cathedral will remain open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., so it will be accessible to pilgrims and visitors, although some parts will be closed off while the work is carried out. The ritual of hugging the Apostle can still be performed in its niche and descend to the apostolic crypt.
Thanks, Jaime. I didn't go inside and thus didn't know if there was any interior renovation.
Thank you both.
They are not holding mass inside the cathedral right now...not even for pilgrims. When I arrived last summer they were actively jackhammering and drilling inside during mass. A bit of a mess! The cathedral work will not be complete for quite a while. You can visit part of the inside and, if you buy tickets in advance, you can visit the Portico de la Gloria. The botafumiero will not swing while the renovations are taking place. The outside of the cathedral looks better than it has in years though!