.

In the shuffling of bishops and sees in the fifth and sixth centuries,
Corunna was forgotten. Unimportant, known only for its castle and its
tower, it passed a useless existence, patiently waiting for a change in
its favour.

This change came in the fifteenth century as a result of the discovery
of America. Since then, and with varying success, the city has grown in
importance, until to-day it is the most wealthy and active of Galicia's
towns, and one of the largest seaports on Spain's Atlantic coast.

Its history since the sixteenth century is well known, especially to
Englishmen, who, whenever their country had a rupture with Spain, were
quick in entering Corunna's bay. From here part of the Invincible Armada
sailed one day to fight the Saxons and to be destroyed by a tempest; ten
years later England returned the challenge with better luck, and her
fleets entered the historical bay and burned the town. During the war
with Napoleon, General Moore fought the French in the vicinity and lost
his life, whereas a few years earlier an English fleet defeated, just
outside the bay, a united French and Spanish squadron.

To-day, the old city on the hill looks down upon the new one below; the
former is poetic and artistic, the latter is straight-lined, industrial,
and modern. Nevertheless, the aspect of the city denies its age, for it
is more modern than many cities that are younger. What is more,
tradition does not weigh heavily on its brow, and depress its
inhabitants, as is the case in Lugo and Tuy and Santiago. The movement
on the wharves, the continual coming and going of vessels of all sizes,
commerce, industry, and other delights of modern civilization do not
give the citizens leisure to ponder over the city's two thousand years,
nor to preoccupy themselves about art problems. Moreover, the tourist
who has come to Spain to visit Toledo and Sevilla hurries off inland,
gladly leaving Corunna's streets to sailors and to merchants.

There are, nevertheless, two churches well worth a visit; one is the
Colegiata (supposed to have been a bishopric for a short time in the
thirteenth century) or suffragan church, and the other the Church of
Santiago. The latter has a fine Romanesque portal of the twelfth
century, reminding one in certain decorative details of the Portico de
la Gloria in Santiago. The interior of the building consists of one nave
or aisle spanned by a daring vault, executed in the early ogival style;
doubtl