Ruins of San Domingos (Pontevedra Province, Spain)

After leaving the basilica, I stopped at the Ruins of San Domingos, which is just a short distance away and on my way back to my hotel. While only sections of the original buildings remain, the ruins date back to the Santo Domingo Convent, which was founded around 1282 CE. Construction on the actual structures began in 1383 and continued into the 15th century. Now, the ruins are preserved as a sort of outdoor museum with informational panels for tourists.

The ruins include the main apse (made of five apses) and the entrance to the entrance to the convent. In the interior, a number of stone effigies and coats of arms adorn the walls and courtyards. The nearby city buildings have been constructed around the ruins, much like a tree will grow around a tool or bicycle left too long against it's trunk. It's actually pretty fascinating to see. 

Many tourists seem to be interested in the ruins and my friends and I take our turn in each area reading the information panels, as best we can with Google Translate. It's all quite interesting and seeing these ancient buildings so frequently in Spain, just makes me appreciate the long history of this region even more.