Palacio de Raxoi

The Palacio de Raxoi is a striking neoclassical building on the Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela. The building closes off the western side of the square and forms an architectural contrast to the soaring vertical lines of the cathedral opposite. Today it houses the city's town hall as well as the presidency of the regional government of Galicia. The facade is defined by its length of almost ninety meters, with horizontal lines dominating. A distinctive feature is the long, covered loggia on the ground floor, supported by twenty round arches on the sides and five segmental-arched openings in the center. Above it rise two stories articulated by huge Ionic columns in the giant order. On the facade, visitors will also find a depiction of the Battle of Clavijo as well as a sculpture of the Apostle James.

The building's history is marked by a long dispute between the diocese and the city administration. The site was previously occupied by prisons and a city wall. In 1766, Archbishop Bartolomé Raxoi Losada commissioned the French architect Carlos Lemaur to build a seminary for confessors. Because the town hall and the Royal Hospital also laid claim to the site, the dispute had to be settled by the Captaincy General of Galicia and the Real Cámara. The solution stipulated that the building should house the consistory as well as the seminary and the prisons. Construction, led by the monk Manuel de los Mártires, lasted from 1766 to 1772.

Today the Palacio de Raxoi is a central part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Routes of Santiago de Compostela." It stands between the Colegio de San Jerónimo, which now houses the university's rector's office, and the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos (Royal Hospital of the Catholic Monarchs), which is part of the Parador chain. The building is considered one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in Galicia and contributed significantly to the aesthetic completion of the square.