{"id":63302,"date":"2026-02-07T17:19:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T16:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=63302"},"modified":"2026-02-09T19:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:42:42","slug":"the-solemn-march-of-the-kingdom-of-galicia-a-historical-jewel-of-spanish-musical-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2026\/02\/07\/the-solemn-march-of-the-kingdom-of-galicia-a-historical-jewel-of-spanish-musical-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"The Solemn March of the Kingdom of Galicia, a historical jewel of Spanish musical heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spain is a country with very ancient musical traditions. Some have such a long history that their origin is lost in time.<\/p>\n

The little-known military march that led some Galicians in their fight for Spain in 1808<\/a><\/rel>
\n'Quena f\u00e9sta e o d\u00eda', a song from medieval Spain with a great beginning<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

A prime example of these traditions is a beautiful and martial processional march that has been performed for centuries in northwestern Spain: the Solemn March of the Kingdom of Galicia<\/strong>, also known as the March of the Ancient Kingdom of Galicia or the Pilgrims' March, as it was regularly played in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This musical piece is a historical gem of unknown authorship.<\/strong> It is not even known in what year it was composed, although it is estimated to have been performed since the 16th or 17th centuries.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
A coat of arms of the King of Spain as King of Galicia, with the Chalice and the Sacred Host representing Galicia between the arms of Castile and Le\u00f3n. The coat of arms is dated 1607 and comes from the old gate of the Maestranza wall in La Coru\u00f1a. It is preserved in the Castle of San Ant\u00f3n, in that same Galician city, former capital of the Kingdom of Galicia (Photo: Elentir<\/a>).<\/div>\n

This march is strongly linked to<\/strong> the national offering to the Apostle James<\/a>, an annual tradition from the 9th century that is still carried out every July 25th, the day of Spain's patron saint, in the Cathedral of Santiago with the accompaniment of this hymn. Furthermore, it is often performed at some official events and even at funerals<\/strong>. The Law of Symbols of Galicia of 1985<\/a> mentions this anthem as \"old March of the Kingdom of Galicia\" in its fourth additional provision, which contemplates the use of insignia, emblems, titles and traditional signs of Galicia that are not part of the current official symbols of this autonomous community.<\/p>\n

Regarding the name of this musical piece, it should be noted that the Kingdom of Galicia is one of the historical entities that formed part of the Crown of Castile<\/strong>. Its creation took place in 910, upon the death of King Alfonso III of Asturias. This kingdom was divided among his three sons: Garc\u00eda became the first King of Le\u00f3n, Ordo\u00f1o became the first King of Galicia, and Fruela received Asturias. However, the kingdoms of Galicia and Asturias remained subordinate to the Kingdom of Le\u00f3n<\/strong>. Upon Garc\u00eda's death, Ordo\u00f1o became King of Le\u00f3n.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
A coat of arms of the King of Spain as King of Galicia, in this case with a monstrance representing Galicia. It is in the Church of Santa Liberata, in Bayona (Pontevedra), a church built in 1709 (Photo: Elentir<\/a>).<\/div>\n

For centuries, the title of King of Galicia has been one of the many associated with the Crown of Spain<\/strong>. In 1976, during a visit to La Coru\u00f1a (capital of the former Kingdom of Galicia), King Juan Carlos I stated<\/a>: \"Rest assured that the Kingdom of Galicia will have in me the most dedicated and enthusiastic supporter of its Kings<\/strong>.\"<\/em> Officially, the name Kingdom of Galicia is rarely used. The only official institution that uses the name is the Archive of the Kingdom of Galicia<\/a>, located in La Coru\u00f1a, owned by the State and administered by the Xunta de Galicia.<\/p>\n

Returning to the music, this march is an instrumental piece, generally performed with bagpipes and drums<\/strong>. Its revival in the 20th century is usually attributed to the O Xestal Folk Group, formed by Carlos D\u00edaz Gestal (1933-1993), who released an album in 1968 that included this anthem<\/a> (I've searched for the recording online but haven't been able to find it). In 1976, the Airi\u00f1os do Parque de Castrelos group from Vigo released a version of this march<\/strong>, and re-released it in 1978, this time on cassette and vinyl record. It is as follows:<\/p>\n