Basilica of Santa María la Mayor

The Basilica of Santa María la Mayor is a early-16th-century church at the center of Pontevedra's old town, commissioned by the city's powerful guild of seafarers and shipbuilders. Its west facade is one of the most intricate in Galicia, layering Isabelline Gothic, Plateresque and late-Gothic stonework with nautical motifs alongside Marian imagery — a reflection of its maritime patrons. Elevated to the rank of basilica minor in 1962, it received an even rarer distinction in 2000 when King Juan Carlos I designated it a Santuario Real, an honor held by no other building in Galicia. The church sits along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, drawing both devout pilgrims bound for Santiago de Compostela and visitors drawn to its exceptional carved stonework.