Completed in 565 AD, the basilica was built over the believed burial site of St. John the Apostle. According to legend, St. John (as the Beloved Disciple) took the Virgin Mary to Ephesus in her final years, and her possible house overlooks the ancient city of Ephesus. Today the ruins are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ephesus.
According to ancient Christian tradition, Mary appeared to the apostle James the Greater as he was preaching in Spain. In 40 AD, while facing severe discouragement, St. James was praying on the banks of the Ebro River when the Blessed Mother appeared to him on a column, encouraging him to persevere in his missionary efforts. This apparition is unique because Mary would have bilocated while still alive in Jerusalem or Ephesus....
This cathedral is the reputed burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the twelve apostles. According to tradition, his tomb was rediscovered in 814 AD by St. Pelagius the Hermit. One of the most famous pilgrimage destinations in the world, it lies at the end of the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James. Today the church is the centerpiece of the larger Santiago de Compostela UNESCO World Heritage Site....