Iria Flavia

Ancient port settlement at the confluence of the Sar and Ulla rivers in Galicia, originally the main seat of the Celtic Capori tribe. Refounded as Iria Flavia under Emperor Vespasian (r. 69-79 AD) along the Via Nova between Braga and Astorga. Became the seat of a bishopric by c. 400 AD under Bishop Ortigius, and one of nine Galician dioceses recorded in the Parroquial Suevo (c. 572-582). Its Church of Santa Maria a Maior is considered one of the oldest in Galicia, built on Roman foundations where a Roman votive bull figure was excavated. In c. 820 AD Bishop Theodemir identified relics attributed to the Apostle James nearby, transforming the region into Christendom's third-greatest pilgrimage center. The episcopal see was formally transferred to Santiago de Compostela in 1095.