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The Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago, also known as the Door of Forgiveness, is located on Quintana Square and opens only during the Compostela Holy Year, when July 25 falls on a Sunday. Its exact origin is uncertain and is placed around the 16th century. Its current façade is Baroque and reuses some of the sculptures from Master Mateo’s Romanesque stone choir. The opening ritual takes place on December 31. The Archbishop of Santiago strikes the door three times with a silver hammer, a symbolic gesture that recalls the time when the door was walled up. In 2027, the opening ceremony will be at noon on December 31, 2026. Walking through it is one of the requirements for receiving the plenary indulgence. Rutas Meigas organizes the Camino de Santiago so you can cross the Holy Door while enjoying the whole route to the fullest.

Normally, the pilgrims who walk to Santiago each year carry in their minds the desire to reach Obradoiro Square (Praza do Obradoiro) and see the imposing Baroque façade of the Cathedral. That is always the case, except in Holy Years, when the busiest square is Quintana. That is where the Holy Door stands, and from it 27 figures (12 on each side and 3 at the top) wait for the pilgrims. But this entrance hides much more.

A Holy Door not so big for an enormous promise

Holy doors are almost never the grand main doors of a church. They tend to be side entrances, narrow, almost humble. That is no coincidence. They evoke the “narrow gate” of the Gospel and remind pilgrims that the path of forgiveness is walked with humility, not with pomp or fanfare.

The Holy Door of Santiago de Compostela opens at the east end of the Cathedral, between the chapels of the Savior and Saint Peter, and leads into the ambulatory. That location has its charm. Whoever crosses it ends up a few steps from the high altar, the crypt of the Apostle and the medieval statue that pilgrims traditionally embrace. It is the most direct shortcut into the church, reserved exclusively for Holy Years.

The Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago and its origins shrouded in Mystery

If you were expecting an exact birth date, we’re sorry to disappoint you. No one knows for certain when or how the Holy Door came to be. What exist are two accounts that have competed for centuries, and we’re going to tell you both.

The Medieval Hypothesis: the Monks’ Door

According to the first hypothesis, the door would be the heir of a much older one, a minor entrance to the church that preceded the current Cathedral, which made it easier for the monks of San Paio, guardians of the Apostle’s tomb for centuries, to pass through. Some even trace it back to the pre-Romanesque church of the 11th century. The problem is that no evidence has survived to confirm it.

The Roman Hypothesis: Alexander VI and Archbishop Fonseca

The second hypothesis, the stronger one according to scholars, tells a different story. In the Rome Holy Year of 1500, Pope Alexander VI set the ritual of the holy doors: a blow of the hammer, a wall that falls, the pontiff crossing first. The idea caught on. Compostela, proud to be the world’s second jubilee city and always attentive to what was done in Rome, was quick to adopt it. Historians point to Archbishop Alonso III de Fonseca, during whose tenure the jubilees of 1507, 1512 and 1518 were celebrated, as the man who would have given the door its present meaning.

The Roman gesture, by the way, had already stirred popular fervor half a century earlier. A Florentine merchant wrote that, after the door of Saint Peter’s was opened in 1450, the faithful gathered the rubble from the wall to take home as relics. A custom that, according to specialists, also found an echo in Santiago.

A Baroque Façade built from the pieces of a lost treasure

What we do know for certain is that the door’s current appearance is Baroque, and that its history is tied to a great loss. Until the early 17th century, the center of the Cathedral housed the stone choir of Master Mateo, the Romanesque work of the same genius who sculpted the Portico of Glory. When it was dismantled, some parts were lost and some of its sculptures were reused.

In 1611, the master builders Jácome Fernández and González de Araújo transformed the façade and placed twelve figures of biblical characters, six on each side, from that choir. Around 1660, José Peña de Toro doubled the number, to twenty-four. And in 1694 the local sculptor Pedro del Campo crowned the ensemble with Saint James the Pilgrim and his disciples Theodore and Athanasius, also dressed as pilgrims. That is how the famous “twenty-seven of the Holy Door” came to be. In 1744, the iron grille that completes the exterior today was added.

Between the door itself and the Baroque portico, a small vestibule remained where a sepulcher and a few gravestones are still preserved. They are a reminder of another time, when the Quintana was a cemetery.

The Neoclassical Holy Door that never was

In 1794, Archbishop Malvar promoted a major neoclassical renovation of the Quintana and the east end of the Cathedral, including a large-scale Holy Door. The prelate’s death a year later, along with the cost of the project, put an end to the idea. Today we can only be grateful, since the humble door we know preserves the intimate character that its symbolism calls for.

December 31: the ritual of Opening the Holy Door

On December 31 before a Holy Year, the Quintana fills with pilgrims, faithful and church authorities. A procession led by the archbishop approaches the door.

The culminating moment arrives. The archbishop takes the silver hammer, strikes three times and is the first to cross the threshold. The Holy Door will stay open until the following December 31, when a similar ritual will close it until the next Jubilee.

For Holy Year 2027, the ceremony will take place on December 31, 2026, and this year it has been moved up to noon.

The Holy Door, from Leiro to Suso León’s Bronze

Outside of the Holy Year, the Holy Door stays closed by a door on its inner face and an outer grille. The inner door is made up of two bronze leaves, the work of Suso León, installed in 2003. Their reliefs tell the story of the life, martyrdom and translation of the Apostle Saint James. Before them, a wooden windbreak carved by Francisco Leiro in 1992, on the theme of the _Translatio_, occupied the spot, and it is now kept in the Cathedral Museum.

And sometimes the rule has been broken with the Church’s permission. In 2016, Pope Francis declared the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, and the Cathedral decided to open the door exceptionally during that year. Likewise, years later, it decided to extend the last Holy Year, 2021 to 2022, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The hidden details of the Holy Door

If you ever cross the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago, look out for these little secrets:

• The cross on the doorjamb: many pilgrims brush their fingertips against a small cross carved into the frame and then make the sign of the cross with water from the fonts.
• The two figures inside: Ezekiel and Saint Jude Thaddeus, both from Master Mateo’s choir.
• The Latin inscription: it recalls that this place is “the house of God and the gate of heaven,” a quotation from Genesis.
• The consecration cross of 1211: a testimony to the first consecration of the Cathedral, above the door.
• The stained-glass window of Saint James the Pilgrim (1896), which crowns the whole.

The Holy Door faces east and, therefore, toward Jerusalem, the place the Apostle Saint James departed from in the 1st century to preach the word of God.

What it means to cross the Holy Door

Behind so much stone and so much ritual lies a very simple idea, that of the words of the Gospel of John: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” Crossing a holy door is a rite of passage, leaving the old behind and starting something new. For the pilgrim who arrives on foot, it is the physical and spiritual culmination of the Camino de Santiago.

That said, it’s best not to confuse the symbol with grace. The Church reminds us that the jubilee is not earned simply by passing through the door, since the plenary indulgence requires meeting the conditions set for each Holy Year, which include, at a minimum, the confession of sins.

Reach the Holy Door by walking the Camino with Rutas Meigas

Although making a pilgrimage is not an essential requirement for obtaining the plenary indulgence, crossing the Holy Door after walking the Camino de Santiago is one of those unforgettable experiences.

At Rutas Meigas, a travel agency based in Santiago de Compostela, we take care of the accommodation, the luggage transfer between stages, and everything you need for your pilgrimage. With Holy Year 2027 approaching, it’s best to plan ahead.

Want to cross the Holy Door in Holy Year 2027? Rutas Meigas takes care of everything for you. Contact us

Buen Camino!

Frequently Asked Questions About the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago

Can I cross the Holy Door when it’s not a Holy Year?

No. Outside the Jubilee Year, the door stays closed by an inner door and an outer grille. It opens only in Compostela Holy Years, when July 25 falls on a Sunday, although the Pope may declare extraordinary holy years, as happened in 2016 and 2022.

When will the Holy Door open for Holy Year 2027?

On December 31, 2026, with a ceremony presided over by the Archbishop of Santiago that will be held at noon this year. The door will close on December 31, 2027.

Who made the figures of the Holy Door?

Most come from the old stone choir of Master Mateo, reused in the 17th century. The figures of Saint James the Pilgrim, Theodore and Athanasius are the work of the local sculptor Pedro del Campo (around 1694). Together they make up the so-called “twenty-seven of the Holy Door.”

Is the current Holy Door the original from the 16th century?

Not quite. Its origin dates back, in all likelihood, to the 16th century, but its exterior appearance is Baroque (17th century) and the current bronze leaves date from 2003, the work of Suso León.

Do I have to cross the Holy Door to receive the plenary indulgence?

Crossing it is the most symbolic gesture of the Holy Year, but the Church reminds us that the jubilee is not earned simply by passing through it. You must also receive the sacrament of confession and Eucharistic communion, as well as pray devoutly for the Pope’s intentions.

Rutas Meigas | Camino de Santiago Travel Agency, Routes and Hiking in Galicia | rutasmeigas.com

O Camiño do Monxe is a 5-day, 4-night Ribeira Sacra hiking route in Galicia, following in the footsteps of the hermit monks who once lived in this sacred canyon. Across three hiking stages (around 60 km), walkers pass ancient monasteries, terraced “heroic” vineyards and dramatic viewpoints over the Sil canyon, finishing with a night at the Parador of Santo Estevo, a former monastery. Organised by Rutas Meigas, the route includes accommodation, breakfast and luggage transfers, from €600 per person.

Long before the first maps of the Camino de Santiago were drawn, men and women fled the world to seek God in the silence of a canyon. They settled on the steep banks of the Sil and Miño rivers, carved cells into the rock, planted impossible vineyards on near-vertical slopes, and over the centuries turned a wild territory into one of the most sacred landscapes in Galicia: the Ribeira Sacra.

From that legacy comes O Camiño do Monxe, a hiking route through the Ribeira Sacra that does more than cross spectacular scenery — stage by stage, it retraces the contemplative life of the first monks who turned rock and water into a dwelling place for faith.

The origins of the Ribeira Sacra monasteries: when silence became faith

From the earliest centuries of Christianity, hermits and monks sought refuge in the deep canyons carved by the Sil and Miño rivers as they cut through southern Lugo and northern Ourense. They dug out caves, built rock-hewn chapels and founded small monastic communities in places of almost inaccessible beauty. That ascetic calling gave the territory its name: Ribeira Sacra, the “sacred riverbank,” a name already recorded in writing since the 12th century.

Isolation wasn’t a whim. For those early anchorites, the canyon was the perfect place to disappear from the world. The vertical slate walls and river bends hid any settlement and protected a silence broken only by water. Over the centuries, those solitary cells grew into full monasteries — some Benedictine, some Cistercian — that went on to amass enormous economic and spiritual power, largely through control of the land and, above all, of wine.

It was these same monks who, generation after generation, revived the vine-growing tradition the Romans had started, carving impossible terraces into the canyon slopes to create what’s known today as heroic viticulture. Monasteries such as San Paio, Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil and Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil are stone witnesses to that contemplative life — and these are precisely the places that mark the stages of O Camiño do Monxe today.

Walking these trails today is, in a way, repeating what generations of monks have done for over a thousand years. Descending to the river, climbing the hillside, or pausing at a viewpoint feels like the landscape itself becoming a form of prayer.

O Camiño do Monxe in 5 Days: for those without two weeks to spare

Not everyone can take two weeks off to complete O Camiño do Monxe’s full 9-day route. That’s why this 5-day, 4-night version exists — designed for anyone who wants to experience the essence of Ribeira Sacra hiking in fewer stages. Three full days of walking, around 60 km in total, two emblematic monasteries, terraced vineyards perched over the void, and a final night sleeping in a National Parador housed in a thousand-year-old monastery.

The difficulty level is moderate, no previous multi-day trekking experience is required, and Rutas Meigas takes care of everything else. Our hiking experience includes accommodation, breakfast and luggage transfer between stages, so the only thing you need to worry about is putting one foot in front of the other.

Day by day: canyons, vineyards and monasteries

The route begins in Castro Caldelas, a village dominated by an imposing medieval castle that already hints at the grandeur of the landscape to come.

The first hiking stage descends toward the Val de Abeleda, home to the silent ruins of the Monastery of San Paio, surrounded by some of the most respected wineries of the Ribeira Sacra D.O. The stage ends at A Fábrica da Luz, a former hydroelectric plant converted into accommodation beside the famous walkways over the River Mao — a place where the sound of water replaces every other noise.

On the second day we walk alongside the River Sil, through the spectacular terraces of heroic viticulture. Passing the incredible Balcones de Madrid viewpoint, the trail leads to the Monastery of Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil, and shortly after to the viewpoint known as A Mirada Máxica — one of those spots where the canyon opens up and, for a moment, time seems to stand still.

On the third and final hiking day, the Sil continues to set the pace, this time from above. We’ll pass the O Cotarro viewpoint, the highest in the canyon, along with the viewpoints of Cabezoá, A Columna, Vilouxe and Pé do Home, each offering some of the most breathtaking panoramas in all of Galicia. The route ends at the Monastery of Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil, today a National Parador, where you’ll sleep among the very stones that once sheltered its monks.

Each stage is designed so the walking pace matches the rhythm of the landscape: cool mornings among chestnut and oak trees, open midday hours through vineyards, and the last hours of daylight saved for the great viewpoints, when the sun sets over the Sil canyon and the vine terraces turn gold. It’s no coincidence that many hikers describe these sunsets as the true highlight of the route — even above the monasteries themselves.

What’s included in this Camiño do Monxe Experience

This version of O Camiño do Monxe includes accommodation with private bathroom, breakfast, luggage transfer between stages (maximum 20 kg per bag), transfers according to the itinerary, a 24-hour emergency line, maps and GPS tracks for each stage, pilgrim credential and travel insurance. Prices start from €600 per person in a double room.

Who is the 5-Day Camiño do Monxe for?

O Camiño do Monxe in 5 days is designed both for experienced hikers looking for a new Galicia hiking route to complete in a short time, and for anyone tackling a multi-day route for the first time who wants to start with a shorter one. Only a moderate fitness level is required. No technical experience or previous long-distance walking is needed — just the desire to walk and let yourself be surprised by one of the most magical corners of inland Galicia.

Frequently Asked Questions about O Camiño do Monxe

How many days does the short version of O Camiño do Monxe take?

This version lasts 5 days and 4 nights, with 3 full days of hiking.

What’s the total distance of the route?

The total distance is around 60 km, split across three stages of between 19 and 21 km each.

How difficult is it?

The difficulty is moderate. No technical knowledge or previous long-distance experience is required — just a reasonable level of fitness.

Where does the route start and finish?

The route starts in Castro Caldelas and ends at the Monastery of Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil, today a National Parador.

Can you reach the starting point by public transport?

You can take the train to Ourense and then a private transfer to Castro Caldelas.

What’s included in the price from €600?

It includes accommodation with private bathroom, breakfast, luggage transport, transfers according to the itinerary, map, credential, stage tracks and travel insurance.

Is this route suitable for someone who has never done a multi-day trail before?

Yes, it’s an ideal option for those starting out in multi-day trekking, since Rutas Meigas handles the logistics, accommodation and luggage.

What’s the best time of year for Ribeira Sacra hiking on O Camiño do Monxe?

You can hike O Camiño do Monxe all year round, though spring and autumn offer the most pleasant walking conditions. In autumn, the whole Ribeira Sacra area turns incredible colours.