While surveying Santiago de Compostela, a medieval cathedral in Galicia, Spain, University of Warwick art historian Jennifer Alexander happened upon a hidden stone carving of a smiling man. Hired by the Galician government to analyze each and every stone in the church, Alexander was busy scrutinizing the cathedral’s masonry when she discovered the curious 11-inch sculpture, depicted from head to waist with arms raised on each side, has been tucked amongst a group of ordinary columns perched 40 feet up.
Just as artists sign their masterpieces, ancient artisans also wanted to be remembered. It was typically only the most talented stonemasons who were allowed to incorporate their images into their handiwork; however, Alexander suspects this “secret selfie” was crafted by a lesser artisan, who cleverly hid it in a secluded spot, waiting patiently for someone to discover it more than 800 years later. “He clearly had other ideas and placed himself where someone working on the building would find him, but the clergy would never notice what he’d done,” Alexander revealed to ArtNet news. “It’s almost as if it was designed just for us to see it by those people working on the building. Of course, this stonemason probably had no idea that he’d have to wait so long to be spotted,” she told The Guardian.
Alexander feels like the approximately 800-year-old figure has put her face-to-face with one of the church’s creators. She shared with Artnet News that “the carving brings us face to face with one of the people whose work we’ve been studying, and it was delightful to meet him.” The accomplished art historian went on to describe medieval stonemasons as “unsung geniuses” responsible for everything including engineering, choosing materials and supplies, hiring labor, and accommodating pesty patrons in order to create exquisite and intricate stone carvings. Talented apprentices had to learn geometry in order to construct a cathedral’s intricate design.
Built between 1075-1211, Santiago de Compostela is believed to have been built over the burial place of Jesus’ disciple St. James the Elder and is one of only three churches in the world known to have been built over the remains of one of Jesus’ disciples. St. James is revered for bringing Christianity to the Peninsula. This holy site has attracted pilgrims from around the world for hundreds of years.
The pious come to honor St. James, whose remains are in a silver urn located in a crypt underneath the main altar. St. James’ remains were originally found by a ninth-century hermit known as Pelagius who claimed he found them after seeing peculiar lights in the night sky. The remains were first housed in a tiny wooden chapel built between 813-830. But when word spread that the apostle’s remains were in Santiago de Compostela, a larger cathedral was built to accommodate the worshippers.
Created mostly from granite, the cathedral is considered one of the best models of Romanesque architecture with later Gothic and Baroque influences. One of its most famous features is the Portico de la Gloria, renowned for its statues of the apostles, amazing animals, and beautiful archways. The iconic representation of various symbols is derived from both the Old Testament and Book of Revelation.
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and the city where it is located are at the end of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that traverses from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France across Spain. The exquisite cathedral, along with the surrounding community, has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In 2019, the area attracted more than 350,000 visitors. These pilgrims enjoy visiting the cathedral, walking through the Porta Santa, or “holy door” that leads to the crypt of St. James and a statue of his likeness, often hugged by his devoted followers.
