The Museum of Pilgrimage and Santiago is an institution which, despite its youth, has a long history. Created in 1951 on the initiative of Manuel Chamoso Lamas (1909-1985), its initial aim was to focus on the history of the city and the pilgrimage phenomenon. Having been closed to the public for several years, it finally opened its doors once more in 1996 as a state-owned museum, managed at regional level by the Xunta de Galicia.

Its current name, established in 2007, responds to its essence as a “national museum institution and a centre for the documentation, research and interpretation of Santiago and pilgrimages."

The acquisition of new collections and the need to expand spaces and improve services led to the incorporation of the old Banco de España building in the Praza de Praterías in 2015, now the Museum’s new exhibition venue. It was refurbished between 2009 and 2012 by the Consortium of Santiago who entrusted the project to the architect Manuel Gallego Jorreto. As well as the building in Praterías, the museum also has its administrative base in the so-called Gothic House, one of the few examples of 14th century civil architecture remaining in Santiago.

The Museum of Pilgrimage and Santiago is owned by the state and managed by the Xunta de Galicia.

Museum information (PDF)