Arriving in Santiago de Compostela

The Botafumeiro

The Botafumeiro is one of the most famous sights in Santiago de Compostela. This silver-plated brass censer stands 1.60 metres tall and weighs 54 kilograms. It was made by the silversmith Losada in 1851 and was originally used to perfume the cathedral. It hangs from a cable beneath the transept.

During special liturgical celebrations and Holy Years, and at the daily pilgrim mass at midday, eight men (tiraboleiros) swing the Botafumeiro like a giant pendulum, pulling the rope at its lowest point and releasing it at its highest. It reaches a height of over 20 metres and swings across the full length of the transept, passing close to the ground at nearly 70 kilometres per hour, leaving a trail of smoke behind it.