Find out more about Church of Santiago de A Ameixenda – Cee
The Church of Santiago de A Ameixenda, located in the parish of the same name in Cee, is a remarkable Baroque temple built in the 18th century. Its most notable feature is its main altarpiece, made of granite — a rare choice for this type of structure. The central figure is a seated image of the Apostle Saint James, reminiscent of the stone sculpture in the sacristy of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, emphasizing the church’s link to the Camino.
The church has a rectangular floor plan with a central nave and a presbytery facing east. The spacious main chapel, covered by a barrel vault, was expanded in 1957 by adding two side aisles, increasing the building’s capacity. Its current wooden roof adds warmth to the interior. A two-tier bell tower rises on the southern wall, with rounded arches below and a pyramid-shaped upper level.
What makes this church truly exceptional is the silver reliquary it houses: it contains a bone fragment believed by local tradition to be the little finger of the Apostle Saint James. This relic is a rare treasure, as most remains of the Apostle are exclusively preserved in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
