It is considered a symbol of both the cathedral and the city. The Botafumeiro is especially celebrated for its swinging motion during the Pilgrim's Mass and other solemn dates, where it can reach speeds of about 60km/h.[1] This ritual has been taking place since at least the 12th century.
Description
The current Botafumeiro is made of an alloy of brass and bronze and is plated by a very thin 20-micrometre layer of silver. The current Botafumeiro was created by the gold and silversmith José Losada in 1851. It has a golden sheen.
The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is one of the largest censers in the world,[2] weighing 80kg[3] and measuring 1.60 m in height. It is normally on display in the library of the cathedral,[4][5] but for certain important religious occasions, like the Feast of Saint James , it is brought to the floor of the cathedral and attached to a rope hung from the pulley mechanism.[6]
There is another large thurible used in the other masses carried out in the cathedral, called La Alcachofa (literally, 'the Artichoke')[7] or La Repollo (literally, 'the Cabbage').[8]La Alcachofa is a silver-colored metal censer. It was created in 1971 by the sacred art artisans working under the craftsman Luis Molina Acedo.
The Botafumeiro is suspended 20 m from a pulley mechanism under the dome on the roof of the church. The current pulley mechanism was installed in 1604.
The pulley mechanism under the transept's dome.
The ropes typically last about 20 years before they have to be replaced. However, recently a thicker rope than usual was used, and the extra rubbing produced premature wear of the rope. Therefore, this thicker rope had to be replaced sooner than had been expected, in 2004.[9][10] Before 2004, the ropes were woven from hemp,[11] or a type of grass called esparto,[7] and made in Vigo, Spain. Since 2004, a rope made of synthetic material has been used.
The censer is pushed initially to start its motion. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes, producing increasingly large oscillations of the censer. The thurible's swings almost reach the ceiling of the transept. The incensory can reach speeds of 68km/h as it dispenses thick clouds of incense.
At the top of the swing, the Botafumeiro reaches heights of 21 meters. It swings in a 65-meter arc between the Azabachería and Praterias doorways at the ends of the transept. The maximum angle achieved is about 82°. The maximum can be reached after about 17 cycles, and requires about 80 seconds of swinging.
Numerous sources report different weights of the Botafumeiro ranging from 50 kilograms to 160 kilograms.[9][12][13][14][15][16][17]
It costs about €450 to privately request a thurible "performance" at the cathedral.[citation needed] It is however very popular with pilgrims, tourists and visitors. The Botafumeiro officially operates during these solemn dates:
The Botafumeiro is carried and swung by eight men in red robes, called tiraboleiros. The term tiraboleiro is a Galician derivation from the Latin word turifer, which means 'incense carrier', and from which is derived the English equivalent, thurifer. This comes from the Latin words thus, meaning 'incense', and fero', meaning 'carry'. There is a comparable term in Spanish, turiferario. (This is also the term used in Italian.)
The swinging Botafumeiro dispensing clouds of incense.
One tradition has it that the use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in the 11th century.[18] Arriving pilgrims were tired and unwashed. It was also believed that incense smoke had a prophylactic effect at the time of plagues and epidemics. Incense burning is also an important part of the liturgy, being an "oration to God", or form of prayer.[citation needed]
In the 13th century, the pulley mechanism was changed to incorporate a set of coaxial drums of different diameters.[19][failed verification] Without this innovation, the largest excursion of the Botafumeiro would be about 1.5 meters, the length of the rope pulled by the tiraboleiros.[citation needed]
In the 15th century, France's King Louis XI (1423–1483) donated money to the cathedral to replace their medieval thurible, which was made of silver. A new silver thurible was put into service in 1554. Unfortunately, this ornate vessel was stolen by Napoleon's troops in April, 1809, during an episode in the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1814).[8][dead link] Therefore, the Louis XI censer was replaced by the present less-ostentatious Losada thurible in 1851.
After 155 years of use, the Botafumeiro was restored in early 2006 by artisans and craftsmen working under Luis Molina Acedo. They repaired the dents and cracks in the Botafumeiro and reapplied a 20 micrometre thick plating of silver to the vessel.[20]
Many other cathedrals had similar large thuribles at one time. However, most of the other cathedrals discontinued the use of their swinging censers over the years.[citation needed]
Accidents
Over the years, a number of accidents have occurred during the swinging of the Botafumeiro. Apparently at one time, the Botafumeiro was attached to the rope with a hook which sometimes became disconnected.
One of the most renowned accidents took place during a visit of Princess Catherine of Aragon. She was on a journey to marry the heir to the English throne in 1499 and stopped by the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. While it was being swung, the Botafumeiro flew out of the cathedral through the Platerias high window. No one was reported to have been injured on this occasion.
The ropes and other devices securing the Botafumeiro have also failed; on May 23, 1622, and more recently in 1925 and July 1937. In 1622, the Botafumeiro fell at the feet of the tiraboleiros. In July 1937, the cords holding the Botafumeiro failed again, and hot coals were spilled onto the floor.
Current procedure is to attach the rope to the Botafumeiro with a set of sailor's knots.[21]
↑ The claim that the Botafumeiro is the largest thurible in the world is often made, but in fact there is a thurible in Lohne, Oldenburg, Germany that reportedly weighs 500 kg and stands 3.21 meters high Der Botafumeiro, Archived 2010-03-08 at the Wayback Machine .
↑ There are many other weights given in the literature, as can be seen in this section.
Santiago de Compostela, simply Santiago, or Compostela, is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century. In 1985, the city's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The province of A Coruña is the northwesternmost province of Spain, and one of the four provinces which constitute the autonomous community of Galicia. This province is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and north, Pontevedra Province to the south and Lugo Province to the east.
James the Great was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was the second of the apostles to die, and the first to be martyred. Saint James is the patron saint of Spain and, according to tradition, his remains are held in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.
Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be used as a simple deodorant or insect repellent.
A censer, incense burner, perfume burner or pastille burner is a vessel made for burning incense or perfume in some solid form. They vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction, and have been in use since ancient times throughout the world. They may consist of simple earthenware bowls or fire pots to intricately carved silver or gold vessels, small table top objects a few centimetres tall to as many as several metres high. Many designs use openwork to allow a flow of air. In many cultures, burning incense has spiritual and religious connotations, and this influences the design and decoration of the censer.
A thurible is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East and Oriental Orthodox, as well as in some Lutheran, Old Catholic, United Methodist, Reformed, Presbyterian Church USA, and Anglican churches. In Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches, the altar server who carries the thurible is called the thurifer. The practice is rooted in the earlier traditions of Judaism dating from the time of the Second Jewish Temple.
The Camino de Santiago, or in English the Way of St. James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried.
The Santiago de Compostela Arch cathedral Basilica is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela and is an integral component of the Santiago de Compostela World Heritage Site in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is also among the remaining churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle, the other ones being St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, St Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Chennai, India and Basilica of St. John in Izmir, Turkey.
The Codex Calixtinus is a manuscript that is the main witness for the 12th-century Liber Sancti Jacobi, a pseudepigraph attributed to Pope Calixtus II. The principal author or compiler of the Liber is thus referred to as "Pseudo-Calixtus", but is often identified with the French scholar Aymeric Picaud. Its most likely period of compilation is 1138–1145.
The University of Santiago de Compostela - USC is a public university located in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. A second campus is located in Lugo, Galicia. It is one of the world's oldest universities in continuous operation.
The Confraternity of Saint James is a pilgrims' association, educational charity and book publisher for the ancient and modern-day pilgrim route Camino de Santiago or "way of Saint James" to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northern Spain.
The Hostal dos Reis Católicos, also called the Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos or Parador de Santiago de Compostela, is a five-star Parador hotel, located in the Praza do Obradoiro of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It is widely considered one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world, and has also been called the "most beautiful hotel in Europe".
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Monte do Gozo is a hill in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. It is known for being the place where Christian pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago can get their first views of the three spires of their destination, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. At 370 metres (1,210 ft), it could be the pilgrims' last hill and optional last stop before reaching the cathedral, with between one and two hours' walk still to go, and by tradition is where they cried out in rapture at finally seeing the end of their path.
The Ponte Taboada, Puente Taboada or Taboada Bridge, is a 10th century Romanesque stone bridge over the river Deza in the Silleda Municipality on the Province of Pontevedra, Spain. The bridge is part of the Silver Way of the Camino de Santiago
The Praza do Obradoiro is main square of the Santiago de Compostela old town, although not placed at the real centre. It lies to the West of the main façade of the Santiago de Compostela cathedral, and thus the Pórtico da Gloria must be crossed to get into the building from the square. It is surrounded by four important buildings, said to represent the four powers of the city: the aforementioned Santiago de Compostela cathedral to the East, Hostal dos Reis Católicos to the North, Pazo de Raxoi to the West and the Colexio de San Xerome to the South. Once being crossed by cars, now is mainly pedestrian as the rest of the old town, with only traffic for taxis and (un)loading delivery lorries.
Néstor Rego Candamil is a Galician teacher, politician and a member of the Congress of Deputies of Spain. He is leader of the Galician People's Union.
The Feast of Saint James, also known as Saint James' Day, is a commemoration of the apostle James the Great celebrated on July 25 of the liturgical calendars of the Roman Catholic church and of the Anglican, Lutheran and some other Protestant churches. The Orthodox Christian liturgical calendar commemorates James on April 30.
A Jacobean Holy Year, also known as the Compostela Holy Year, is a Catholic celebration that takes place in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. It occurs in the years in which 25 July, the Feast of Saint James, falls on a Sunday. This occurs with a regular cadence of years, so that fourteen Jacobean Holy Years are celebrated every century.
The Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Spain. It was designated in 1993, and later expanded and renamed in 2015. The complete site includes a network of five traditional pilgrimage routes of the Way of Saint James as it passes through Northern Spain: the popular French Way, the Primitive Way, the Northern or Coastal Way, the Interior Way and the Liébana Route; as well as 16 of the most "culturally significant" individual structures, including religious and civil buildings.
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