"Igrexa da Virxe Peregrina" (Church of the Pilgrims)

This church's dedication to the cult of the Virgin, as well as its unusual design in the shape of a scallop shell, indicate that it was intended for use by pilgrims on the road to Santiago.

It is located beside the Gothic church of the old convent of San Francisco, on the Portuguese section of the Way of Saint James. Built between 1778 and 1832 according to plans by Antonio de Souto and Bernardo José de Mier –typical of the late Baroque with early neoclassical elements–, its greatest originality lies in its floor plan in the shape of a scallop shell and its convex façade flanked by two towers. The nave itself, culminating in the sacristy, is in the form of a cross. It is preceded by an atrium with a stairway and a pinnacled balustrade presided by carved image (19th century) of the Virgin of La Peregrina, the patron saint of the city and province of Pontevedra. The main altarpiece in the neoclassical style was created by Melchor de Prado in 1789.