Santiago Cathedral welcomed EU and Latin American ministers during the Ecofin summit visit
Santiago Cathedral played a prominent part in the events following the Ecofin summit held in the Galician capital. The Ministers of Economy and Finance from the European Union and from Latin America and the Caribbean were granted a special visit to the basilica in Raxoi on Thursday night, following a formal reception hosted by the city’s mayor, Goretti Sanmartín. The moment highlighted the cathedral as not just a spiritual landmark but also a venue of cultural and diplomatic significance for the host city.
One participant later described the experience as amazing, a sentiment echoed by council member and first deputy mayor María Rozas who accompanied the delegation during the visit.
The group, estimated at around 100 to 150 people, spent about an hour inside the basilica. They were received by the director of the Cathedral Foundation, who was accompanied on the trip by Dr. Daniel Lorenzo. The visit proceeded smoothly and was organized with precision, according to Lorenzo, who noted that the participants were divided into five groups and each group had a dedicated guide. Two guides spoke Spanish and three spoke English, ensuring a highly personalized tour of the cathedral’s different areas.
Participants left with a sense of satisfaction about the experience and the atmosphere of the basilica. They were grateful for the opportunity to see the site up close and for the thoughtful lighting and preservation that highlighted its architecture. The ministers and their entourage also toured two outpatient chapels during the visit.
The private tour lasted approximately one hour. Nadia Calviño, the summit’s most enthusiastic participant and the first vice president who hosted the event, had previously visited the temple a few months earlier with Lorenzo, having explored various parts of the nave, the monastery roof, the tribune and the cathedral precincts.
Regarding Mayor Sanmartín’s presence at the basilica, the Cathedral Foundation’s director commented that Sanmartín knew him well. He noted that simply skipping a public event is one thing, but not visiting the temple altogether would be another matter of importance to the city’s heritage and its symbolism.
Morning explorations and a symbolic journey
Some participants took the opportunity to learn more about the city and even to embark on brief excursions between meetings. The group of Latin American economic ministers, including U.S. economists, representatives from Ecuador, Uruguay, Chile, and Venezuela, set off early the next day with a sense of purpose. They traversed the last ten kilometers toward the Cathedral in what was described as a purposeful leg of their itinerary.
Ecuadorian minister Pablo Arosemena described the experience to Europa Press as a meaningful metaphor for the moment Ibero-America is navigating. He emphasized the need for time to reflect, to come together, and to envision impactful initiatives for the region. The Ecofin summit’s final day was scheduled to take place at Cidade da Cultura, a location that would be closed to the public for the duration of the meeting, with access limited to accredited participants and journalists inside the venue.
Security remained a priority for the event, with approximately 1,250 representatives from state security forces and associated agencies deployed to ensure safety and orderly proceedings. While this level of security was substantial, there was no indication of disruptions to the agenda set by organizers at the time of reporting.
Overall, the visit to the basilica underscored the enduring bond between heritage sites and contemporary diplomacy, a pairing that offered a tangible illustration of shared values among participating nations. The cathedral’s role as a cultural ambassador during a high-level economic gathering was widely observed as a testament to the city’s ability to host significant international interactions with poise and grace.
Notes on attribution: reported details and quotations are based on statements from attendees and organizers, with coverage provided by accompanying media partners at the event. For a concise summary of this visit and its broader context within the Ecofin discussions, see contemporary reports from Europa Press and related coverage attributed in this summary.