The Bestiary of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

Among the many surprises that the Romanesque cathedral of Santiago holds for visitors is the extensive series of capitals with animalistic themes that adorn its interior. These, almost seventy in total, are distributed throughout all areas of the building: in the chancel, the transept arms, the naves, the interior porticos, the galleries, and the crypt. Simple observation of their location indicates that these theriomorphic representations tend to be concentrated in certain places normally related to the sacred topography of the building, its liturgical use, or simply in important thoroughfares.