A Medieval Treat With A Side of History

The Parador de Santiago, known as the Hostel dos Reyes Católicos, is a mix of art, history, and tradition. It was the pilgrims´ ambition, an emblem of Santiago, and it marks the end of the Camino de Santiago.

Construction on the building was commissioned in 1492, which coincided with America's discovery. Prior to becoming the luxury hotel we have today,  the Parador de Santiago was originally built in 1499 and finished in 1509, and was used as a Royal Hospital for pilgrims traveling the El Camino de Santiago en route to the Catedral de Santiago.The Royal Hospital´s mission was to attend to the pilgrims that came to the Galician capital via the way of the Saint James pilgrimage.
The Parador has two main cloisters. One is named after San Juan (also nicknamed the "kitchen cloister" because the kitchen was located here,) which held the nursery as well as being a home to abandoned and orphaned children. In the San Marcos cloister the pharmacy was housed.

Two subsequent cloisters that many believe were made at a later date due to their Baroque style rather than Renaissance style are named after San Mateo and San Lucas, and are composed of two beautiful gardens within the walls.
The Paradores, luxury and historic hotels, were founded over 85 years ago. These fantastic hotels, located within castles, palaces, mountain lodges, mansions and provincial estates, guarantee stays defined by elegance, comfort and flawless service.
The history of Spain’s spectacular Paradores hotels dates back to the earliest years of the 20th century, when the Spanish Government took note of the significant lack of suitable hotel infrastructure throughout the country. Under direct orders of King Alfonso XIII, the Royal Tourism Commission began to scout the country for truly exceptional locations and in 1928 the very first of these new, luxurious hotels opened in the heart of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range.
It was Spanish Dictator Francisco Franco´s decision in 1954 to include Parador de Santiago in the Spanish Parador hotel system, and to renovate the Hostal into a world-class modern hotel.

Today, Paradores de Turismo de España offers a chain of Spanish luxury hotels.
The wild success of this first site led to the project’s expansion, with unique, historical buildings and sites of great natural beauty as the characteristics for future Paradores. With full support from the government, especially during a particularly busy period in the 1960’s, the Paradores network rapidly expanded as the nation’s infrastructure developed.

When in Spain, you are never far from one of the Paradores. Today more lodging choices exist than ever before, with more than 90 Paradores located throughout the Spanish countryside. In addition to unique and historical accommodations, the hotels also feature the best restaurants specializing in regional gastronomy accompanied by an amazing selection of local wines, and tarts.

In the province of Galicia one of the most popular pastry options is the St. James tart, a delicious almond cake with a remarkable history.

This delicious almond cake is named in honor of Santiago (St. James), the patron saint of Spain. Every July 25th, the feast day of St. James is celebrated nationally in Spain. His remains are buried in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.

During the Middle Ages, the pilgrimage to Santiago was the most important pilgrimage of the Christian world. Today, many people still make the trip to Santiago not just for religious reasons, but as a cultural, historical or active vacation.

The cake’s origin is not certain, but it may have been brought to Galicia by a pilgrim and enjoyed by many who completed their journey to Santiago. 

The first reference to this tart dates from 1577, when Pedro de Porto Carrero began to prepare it. But at that time it was known as Torta Real and was served fragmented into two individual portions.

However, as such, the first recipe that receives the name of Santiago cake is found in the 1838 confectionery notebook of Luis Bartolomé de Leybar, from where it begins to spread in all Galician pastry books.

Although there are no almond trees in Galicia, the consumption of this dried fruit dates back to the Late Middle Ages, when almonds were imported from the Spanish Levant for gastronomic and therapeutic purposes. But they were only consumed by the upper class. In the middle ages, almonds were very scarce, so the ability to enjoy this dessert was related to economic power.

Although it is not clear yet what its precise origin is, it is well known why the silhouette of the cross of Santiago is applied on the cake. It is a story of 1924 when José Mora Soto, founder of the Compostelano Casa Mora, looked for a way to give a touch of distinction to the dessert, an initiative that was followed by all the proud Compostelanos and that until today remains, for which there is no cake from Santiago that does not carry it.

Years and years of disclosure of the dessert among the pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago have made it a tradition, and more than that, an inevitable gastronomic experience during this adventure, even taking its recipe outside the borders where it is known as a typical product of Galicia.

The tart includes only three main ingredients: Eggs, sugar and almond flour. To make the base, beat the egg with a spoonful of water, the sugar and add a little cinnamon. Gradually add the flour until it forms a mixture than can be kneaded. Roll it out with a rolling pin and line the bottom of a tin that has been greased and sprinkled with flour beforehand. For the filling, whisk the eggs with the sugar and the lemon rind. When it begins to froth, add the ground almonds and the cinnamon. Fill the tin with this mixture and place in an oven pre-heated to 180ºC for about 25-30 minutes. For the final touch, cut out a St. James cross out of cardboard, place it in the middle of the tart and dust the whole tart with icing sugar. When you remove the cross, the shape will remain engraved on the tart.

Although it is not clear yet what its precise origin is, it is well known why the silhouette of the cross of Santiago is applied on the cake. It is a story of 1924 when José Mora Soto, founder of the Compostelano, Casa Mora, looked for a way to give a touch of distinction to the dessert, an initiative that was followed by all the proud Compostelanos and that until today remains, for which there is no cake from Santiago that does not carry it.

Today the cake is sold all over Galicia, and is popular with tourists, as well as pilgrims completing their journey on the St. James Way.