Plaza del Obradoiro is the monumental centre of Santiago de Compostela. Its Galician name seems to be derived from the workshops of marble quarry workers who worked on the construction of the Baroque facade of the Cathedral, which dominates the square and welcomes the thousands of pilgrims arriving via the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). The other buildings in the square are the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos (today a state-owned hotel and previously a hospital for pilgrims), the Colegio de San Xerome (university administrative building), and the Palacio de Raxoi (today the headquarters of the City Hall of Santiago). These represent the four pillars of life in the Galician capital: religion, university education, aid to the pilgrims, and government.
Pilgrims consider the granite plaque in the centre of Plaza Obradoiro to be "kilometre zero", the arrival point of all the routes leading to the Apostle.
The terrace of the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos is also worth visiting, specifically the part that separates it from Palacio de Raxoi, for the interesting view of San Fructuoso church in contrast to the greenness of the urban kitchen gardens: Alameda to the left and Monte Pedroso to the right.
