Mateo did not erect the _Pórtico de Gloria_ until after he had completed the so-called “Palace of Gelmirez” adjoining the cathedral, and also the little church which has been erroneously called “_la Catedral Vieja_” (the old cathedral). In both of these there is contemporary sculpture of great interest and merit. Underneath the principal entrance to the cathedral, and below the flight of steps by which the principal entrance is reached, there is another entrance in the western wall, that of the little church, or crypt, beneath the _Pórtico de Gloria_, which is now called the chapel of St. Joseph. An eighteenth-century circular arch, broken by a coat of arms, forms the head of the doorway, on either side of which, on pedestals, stand the figures of two knights in armour work of the fifteenth century. As soon as we have entered we perceive that the little church and the portico above are the work of the same architect, and, consequently, of the same period. On St. Joseph’s Day this little church stands open from early morning till late at night, and on the Eve of St. Joseph’s Day it is also open; but throughout the rest of the year travellers invariably find it closed. Even now it is very seldom visited by travellers as in the days of Street, who discovered its existence by a mere accident. On entering the door the visitor confronts a relief figure, somewhat under life size, of St. James the Less, the garments of which are highly coloured, red and blue. St. James holds in his hand a scroll on which his name is written. In front of the statue is a very ancient baptismal font with a thick stem. Sanchez calls this statue Byzantine, but some think it to be Mateo’s work. Opposite the entrance, at the end of a modern passage, about three yards in length, is a stout clustered pier (A) from which spring three arches, one to the north, one to the south, and one to the east; the first two give entrance as it were to twin naves leading to the high altar, the third arch joins the clustered pier (A) to another and yet more robust clustered pier (B), an elephantine one, in fact, which in its turn also throws out three arches to north, south, and east. A third and smaller clustered pier (C) is joined to the second (B) by the last mentioned arch. An aisle running round the third clustered pier forms a [Illustration: SCULPTURED CAPITALS EXACTLY BENEATH THE CENTRAL ARCH OF THE PORTICO DE GLORIA IN SANTIAGO CATHEDRAL PHOTO. BY VARELA] [Illustration: THE PALACE OF GELMIREZ, SANTIAGO PHOTO. BY VARELA] circular apse in which are the chief altar, and an altar to the Virgin and to St. James on either side.