The twelfth century convent church of Santa Marta de Tera is located at some distance south of the Camino Francès on the Via de la Plata route from Merida. Its southern porch features spandrel reliefs of Saint John and Saint James the patron of the shrine at Compostela. The depiction of Saint James shows him as a pilgrim and is one of the earliest depictions of the Apostle wearing the attribute of the scallop shell. For more information on the scallop shell’s symbolism go to the page.
