Parish Church of Santa María y Santiago

The Parish Church of Santa María y Santiago is located in the old town of La Coruña. It is the oldest in the city and retains Roman remains inside.

It dates from the Romanesque period of the Compostelan School (12th century), with later modifications. Originally, its design had three naves with apses at the end of each. Currently, the church has a hall plan, preserving the three apses of the former naves. After the fires and subsequent renovations, what is best preserved from the original construction is the chancel with these apses.
 

On the north wall, there is a small old doorway with the Agnus Dei in the centre of the tympanum surrounded by flowers. The Romanesque archivolt is decorated with rosettes.
 

On the south wall, the main doorway, added later and pointed, features an equestrian relief of Santiago in its tympanum. Both the archivolts and the capitals supporting them display beautiful religious sculptural figures, now weathered. The doorway is flanked by the apostles St. John and St. James on the jambs. Above this doorway is a large rose window.
 

With the change from three naves to a single hall inside, the roof is supported by robust pointed diaphragm arches from the Gothic period. These arches rest on pilasters that retain the capitals of the original side naves. The three apses of the Romanesque structure are heavily modified inside, whose capitals are also original and are decorated with vegetal and zoomorphic motifs.
 

Among the pieces preserved inside this church is a baptismal font and interesting Roman arae (small stone altars). Also notable are old sepulchres and a stone pulpit dating from the 17th century.
 

On August 18, 1972, the Church of Santiago in La Coruña was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument.