Cathedral in SdC under restoration - still worth it?

[rgutena]

Hi All - I am planning to do part of the Camino Portugués this year, potentially all the way to SdC, but have just read that the cathedral is currently under restoration. To those who has seen the cathedral recently in its current state, do you think it is still worthwhile for someone (like me) who is not really doing the Camino for the spiritual experience in the walk itself but is more drawn to the idea of being on a walking journey and ultimately reaching a final destination that is truly magical?

Many thanks!

 

[jsalt]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – can you see through the outer casing to the heart within?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

do you think it is still worthwhile

Everything about the walk is optional. The restoration will be going on for quite a while, so if scaffolding and nets bother you, avoid it.

http://www.crtvg.es/crtvg/camaras-web/praza-do-obradoiro

 

[Deleted member 36903]

Hello rgutena and welcome to the forum. Yes the main facade is undergoing restoration but that is a small part of a massive building. The interior is unaffected and rooftop tours are still offered. Whatever your motivations (and they can change along the way) for walking might be,I am sure that by the time you arrive in the Plaza del Obradoiro in SDC you will find it an overwhelming experience, and, as the old saying goes, it's not what's on the outside but whats on the inside that counts.
Bom Caminho!

 

[CowboyJoe]

Hi All - I am planning to do part of the Camino Portugués this year, potentially all the way to SdC, but have just read that the cathedral is currently under restoration. To those who has seen the cathedral recently in its current state, do you think it is still worthwhile for someone (like me) who is not really doing the Camino for the spiritual experience in the walk itself but is more drawn to the idea of being on a walking journey and ultimately reaching a final destination that is truly magical?

Many thanks!

If you're not doing the Camino for spiritual reasons, then what difference does it make? Scaffolding or not, the cathedral is still magical...

 

[AbbyDee]

Hi All - I am planning to do part of the Camino Portugués this year, potentially all the way to SdC, but have just read that the cathedral is currently under restoration. To those who has seen the cathedral recently in its current state, do you think it is still worthwhile for someone (like me) who is not really doing the Camino for the spiritual experience in the walk itself but is more drawn to the idea of being on a walking journey and ultimately reaching a final destination that is truly magical?

Many thanks!

It will not stop me. And my Camino begins in Sept of this year.

 

[Mark Lee]

If you are walking to Santiago just to look at an unblemished, perfect facade of a centuries old cathedral, ummm, yeah you is going to be disappointed. I would say if that's the case, then just stay home, or maybe do a different long distance hike.

 

[whariwharangi]

"A final destination that is truly magical"

Sounds like you are setting yourself up for real disappointment.

A small tip ... (easily) half the fun is getting there. Take time to smell the roses along the way because there might not be any in Santiago.

 

[IngridF]

The Cathedral is magic in whatever state it is in... it is, because you have ended and started another life's journey. Buen Camino.

 

[jmcarp]

Watch this amazing video to see the Cathedral from a viewpoint not available to those of us bound by gravity:

 

[naplesdon]

Hum, no comment!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have been to Santiago in the last two years. Is the restoration scaffolding a dissappointment? Yes. BUT in no way was it a detriment to my experience. The interior was not affected, and the rooftop tour...oh la la, fantastic! Also, the city itself and the parks are amazing and special. You will NOT be dissappointed. I'll be arriving once again on May 22nd!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

To speak in your words , Still worth it ?
Yes of course .

 

[poogeyejr]

The cathedral is amazing what ever the condition, but you are absolutely right . . .

ultimately reaching a final destination that is truly magical?

. . . ultimately reaching the final destination is what is truly magical!!!!

Completing your Camino in Santiago with an entire community of people that have walked from all over Spain converging on the same destination is bigger than just your journey and a wonderful addition to any camino. You can still have a great camino if you don't end in Santiago, but it is a larger more communal experience when you do.

 

[FrankieBallz]

The Cathedral will always be under some degree of restoration. As a UNESCO World Heritage sight, any restoration must be to a very exact standard using the same materials as originally used. Very slow progress from what I observed in Oct./Nov. The Pilgrim's mass is still served twice a day and all parts of the Cathedral are open except the Portico de Gloria. (North) I think I remember them saying it will take years to complete this stage. For me, it was always the journey more than the destination. Buen Camino.

 

[C clearly]

The restoration work should be viewed as a good thing, but it is not necessarily magical. A "final destination that is truly magical" can only be in your mind. We can't predict that.

 

[natefaith]

Hello rgutena! As you think and plan for your Camino, see what else excites you about the prospect of walking. It could be the time to yourself on the trail, the community you may build with other pilgrims, some of the other towns you'll see, or simply making room in your year to get away and reflect. Part of the Cathedral *is* under scaffolding, but there's quite a bit of it visible (if it makes you feel any better, a year or two ago even more of it was covered!). If the things you're excited about outweigh the possibility of seeing the Cathedral in a renovation-in-progress state, then I'd say your Camino will still be worth it! If you really, really want to invest the time and energy (and dollars) into a Camino only when the Cathedral is finished, then I would wait. Hope that helps!

 

[AbbyDee]

Hi All - I am planning to do part of the Camino Portugués this year, potentially all the way to SdC, but have just read that the cathedral is currently under restoration. To those who has seen the cathedral recently in its current state, do you think it is still worthwhile for someone (like me) who is not really doing the Camino for the spiritual experience in the walk itself but is more drawn to the idea of being on a walking journey and ultimately reaching a final destination that is truly magical?

Many thanks!

Just another thought, and I'm very sure that you have heard it before, but here goes again:

It's not the destination, its the journey.

 

[AbbyDee]

The Cathedral will always be under some degree of restoration. As a UNESCO World Heritage sight, any restoration must be to a very exact standard using the same materials as originally used. Very slow progress from what I observed in Oct./Nov. The Pilgrim's mass is still served twice a day and all parts of the Cathedral are open except the Portico de Gloria. (North) I think I remember them saying it will take years to complete this stage. For me, it was always the journey more than the destination. Buen Camino.

The very first time I went to Europe many, many moons ago, I was at the Vatican when the restoration of the Sistine Chapel was underway. I was fortunate to see the Chapel, in a sense, before the restoration and have an idea what it would be like when it was completed. It was a unique experience, all a matter of perspective.

The glass is either half full or half empty, depending how you choose to see it.

 

[KinkyOne]

a walking journey and ultimately reaching a final destination that is truly magical?

Hola rgutena,

I'm not a believer in a Catholic or any religious way so I find myself kind of close to you on this matter. But I surely am spiritual person or at least person with some spiritual needs which can be fulfilled with walking. What I really want to say is that the way itself can or even should be magical. And only when you reach "final" (final???) destination you'll know if it's also magical. Just go, scaffolding or not on the Cathedral

And - Ultreia!


PS (Can February March? No, but April May! )

 

[Mike Trebert]

Watch this amazing video to see the Cathedral from a viewpoint not available to those of us bound by gravity:

WOW! A drone INSIDE the cathedral! How did they get permission for that? I can't believe that they were permitted to fly so low around the altar for instance. I guess it depends on who ya know, huh? Some great images, but overall, a bit overcooked - too much movement, too many quick cuts. But that's my taste.

Mike

 

[rgutena]

Hi - Thank you so much for all your comments! I was acutely aware that it was a very subjective question that I put out there. But I suspect that I am 'shallower' than most people who walk the Camino, in the sense that I am not doing it to be closer to God, to contemplate the meaning of life etc etc. As such, I am not confident that I will be able to just appreciate the 'journey' itself. While I did enjoy the short section that I did last year on Via Podiensis (the Le Puy route) even though there was no 'magical' cathedral awaiting at the end, the objective of my Camino adventure this year was different and the cathedral was going to be a major feature of it, something to reward myself for all the effort. As soon as I read about the restoration, I started to wonder: what would keep me going when I am tired / cold / caught in the rain / lost, while all that awaits at the end of the trail is a heap of scaffoldings? Of course no one could really answer that question for me. But the varied responses I have got from you have kind of inspired me to just go and find out for myself. So maybe my curiosity to know the answer to my own question will be what will keep me going when I am tired / cold / caught in the rain / lost!

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Yes, the Cathedral is very much worth seeing even with the current scaffolding and netting.
Saw it in April, 2014 and again in April 2016. The tower that was covered in 2014 is now finished.
I believe restoration will not be complete until 2019.
The inside of the Cathedral is amazing and unaffected by the restoration work, except for the main entrance in 2016.

The pilgrim mass is worth taking in regardless of your religious convictions.

The Camino is all about the journey, but arriving at the Cathedral is a fitting end for this journey.

 

[tpmchugh]

Hi All - I am planning to do part of the Camino Portugués this year, potentially all the way to SdC, but have just read that the cathedral is currently under restoration. To those who has seen the cathedral recently in its current state, do you think it is still worthwhile for someone (like me) who is not really doing the Camino for the spiritual experience in the walk itself but is more drawn to the idea of being on a walking journey and ultimately reaching a final destination that is truly magical?

Many thanks!

I first saw the cathedral in 2013 in all its glory before the scaffolding went up. I have been back 4 times since, twice walking the Way and twice on a bus tour from Vigo. The scaffolding while not bothering me, I would love to see it gone. Inside, although the portico where the tree of Jesse is, is still out of bounds, the cathedral is still a beautiful place. However, even if you are disappointed with the cathedral itself, the trails to Santiago are beautiful and the city itself is well worth the visit

 

[Sheffield James]

Try viewing the cathedral as is + enjoy the very many perspectives where the scaffolding is not present. Then, maybe, buy a couple of the pricier postcards that show the facade, sans tubular cladding, in all its glory. You can then enjoy these 'unspoiled' images repeatedly at your leisure when you get back home. Go for it!

 

[rgutena]

Try viewing the cathedral as is + enjoy the very many perspectives where the scaffolding is not present. Then, maybe, buy a couple of the pricier postcards that show the facade, sans tubular cladding, in all its glory. You can then enjoy these 'unspoiled' images repeatedly at your leisure when you get back home. Go for it!

No, the postcards would just be constant reminders of what I have missed! But not seeing the cathedral in all its glory this time does give me another reason to return when the scaffolding is gone!

 

[Kanga]

Do the roof top tour of the Cathedral, combined with a museum ticket, is well worthwhile and gives a completely different perspective. I loved it. The museum is a treasure trove. But even better, when you see the building from the top you realise that all the "stuff" on the outside is a very late addition, and it is not so disappointing that it is covered in scaffolding. The church is really a fortress - something not obvious from below. You also get to walk around the long gallery overlooking the congregation and everything below - fantastic - and can see where all the medieval pilgrims slept.

 

[rgutena]

Do the roof top tour of the Cathedral, combined with a museum ticket, is well worthwhile and gives a completely different perspective. I loved it. The museum is a treasure trove. But even better, when you see the building from the top you realise that all the "stuff" on the outside is a very late addition, and it is not so disappointing that it is covered in scaffolding. The church is really a fortress - something not obvious from below. You also get to walk around the long gallery overlooking the congregation and everything below - fantastic - and can see where all the medieval pilgrims slept.

Great suggestion! Will keep that in mind.

 

[BPG2017]

I did not know about the restoration, and I am a culture addict, so yes, for me it was a bit of a sudden disappointment, but of COURSE it's still worth it! Frankly, the facade is the least beautiful part of the Cathedral in any case. Over-the-top Spanish Baroque superimposed on a pristine late-romanesque/early Gothic body. The bigger disappointment was not being able to see that unique, incredible jewel of European art, the Portico da Gloria. I consoled myself with the photo exhibition of its restoration, in the building to the left of the main steps.

The rest of the inside of the Cathedral is untouched, and awesome.

In any case, the Camino is not about seeing the Cathedral. Or... it is, of course, but in a different way. A way that is not affected by scaffolding and blue plastic.

 

[rgutena]

The rest of the inside of the Cathedral is untouched, and awesome.

In any case, the Camino is not about seeing the Cathedral. Or... it is, of course, but in a different way. A way that is not affected by scaffolding and blue plastic.

Hi BPG2017 - I don't know when you went there, but in early June when I was there, there was blue plastic even right above St James' head. No, it was impossible (at least for me) to feel any magic whether inside or outside the cathedral. I suppose the loud tourists who appeared to ignore repeated instructions to be quiet didn't help. By the way, I didn't see the botafumeiro swing either.

To my surprise, however, this didn't mean my Camino journey ended on a sour note. It is in fact true that it is the journey rather than the destination that matters, even for a non-religious person like myself. Almost as soon as I returned, I started planning my next Camino adventure next year, not to mention another one when the restoration is all done!

 

[BPG2017]

Hi rgutena. I was there a week ago and it's still exactly as you saw it.
I would guess that if you didn't feel any magic inside the cathedral, you might not have felt any, in any case. The Cathedral is not for everybody. I was weaned on European history and architecture, so was awed by the "skeleton " of the church, remembering its cultural-historical context. And I was moved by the sense of togetherness, mindful of what this place means and has meant to millions of my fellow men.
But let's face it, it IS gloomy and there is a lot of distracting detail, including the obnoxious tourists! I absolutely understand all those who are underwhelmed by it.
But I plan to go back too - as soon as the Portico da Gloria is finished! That is an art treasure worth the trip all by itself.
As for the Botafumeiro (I did see it in action) - look at it on YouTube. Frankly, it's just as good - and you get a better view!