CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Santiago de Compostela is one of the great pilgrimage basilicas of Europe. Our restoration project shows the building as it appeared when dedicated by Bishop Pedro Muñoz on April 3, 1211 A.D. In addition to restoring the architecture of the cathedral and placing it within an urban simulation of the town, the project also offers a reconstruction of the songs and sounds typically heard in the building in the thirteenth century.

The reconstruction project was initiated by UCLA Professor John Dagenais (Department of Spanish and Portuguese) for use in his introductory course in Medieval Spanish literature and as an ongoing research project for students in a summer-session class studying and traveling the pilgrimage route.

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

John Dagenais (UCLA), Bernard Frischer (UCLA)

MODELER(S)

Dean Abernathy, Rebeka Vital, Renee Calkins

VIDEOS

Introduction
Interview with Prof. John Dagenais about the VR Romanesque cathedral of Santiago de Compostela project.

Pilgrim Visit (10:30)
This video follows the final steps of the journey along the "Camino Francés" (French Road) to Compostela, for pilgrims coming from France and beyond, a journey of months. Pilgrims enter the gate still known today as the "Porta do Camiño" (Gate of the Road), walk through the town, enter the cathedral at the north transept door and visit the basilica, no doubt astonished at the size and grandeur of the structure, perhaps the largest building many had ever seen.

General Tour (6:20)
Beginning in the north transept, this video gives an overview of the spaces and places of the Romanesque basilica of Santiago de Compostela. It also features an example of the spatialized sound used in the model, courtesy of "UCLA Sounds," directed by Martha Cowan. The addition of sound to the model enhances the feeling of space in ways that cannot be conveyed by the eyes alone.

Gallery Tour (1:45)
This video explores the upper level of the basilica. It was possible for pilgrims to walk around the entire perimeter of the church at this level. Indeed, this gallery may have served for overflow accomodations for pilgrims. Here they may well have slept and eaten, as well as prayed. The floor of the gallery is covered with sand, among other reasons, in order to make it easier to clean up after these devout visitors.

Departure and Town Overview (1:21)
This video illustrates how VR technology makes it possible for us to experience space in new ways, ways not generally available to either medieval or modern pilgrims. As we "fly" out of the basilica through the rose window we continue to rise above the town and can see the beginnings of development along the French road and parts of an old wall which previously surrounded an earlier and much smaller church and town (and now serves as the back wall for some houses).

The West Gate (2:25)
This video shows the spectacular view visitors arriving from the north (perhaps by sea from England and Ireland), west and south would have had of the west end of the cathedral and the "Pórtico de la Gloria" (Portal of Heaven) that was the masterpiece of the designer of this part of the building: Master Mateo. The VR reconstruction allows us to appreciate for the first time in several centuries the original intentions of Master Mateo in this work, with the huge figure of Christ soaring above the town and visible through the open archways from the distance. Today, these archways are closed, rendering Master Mateo's work invisible from the outside, and, due to the development of the town around the basilica, the feeling of the sheer, almost floating, elevation of the building is much dimished.

Credits
Thanks the many talented individuals who participated in the creation of the VR Romanesque cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

RELATED LINKS

John Dagenais’ website related to the El Camino de Santiago