•    1941. Historical Site of National Interest.
•    1985. World Heritage City by UNESCO, December 4 th, 1985. The prize was received in March, 1986.
•    1985. First European Cultural Itinerary. Council of Europe, October 23rd, 1987
•    1987. Council of Europe’s Flag of Honour, October 23rd, 1987.
•    1992. Firenze Prize from the Centro Culturale Firenze Europa, December 5th, 1992. Sponsored by Florence Comune.
•    1993. Royal Foundation of Toledo Prize . Received in October, 1994, ‘because of its urban restoration and renovation project, which appropriately and intelligently combines tradition and the contemporary.'
•    1993. The Way of St. James was declared a World Heritage Route by UNESCO on December 10th, 1993.
•    1994. Europa Nostra Prize for the rehabilitation of an old tannery in Carme de Abaixo. Architect: José Luis Pereiro.
•    1995. European City of Culture in the year 2000, along with Avignon, Bergen, Bologna, Brussels, Krakow, Helsinki, Prague and Reykjavik.
•    1996. Gubbio Prize. National Association of Historical-Artistic Centres of Italy (ANCSA) and Gubbio Town Council. Awarded to the ‘Programme for Rehabilitating Houses in Santiago de Compostela’s Old Town’.
•    1996. Europa Nostra Prize for the heritage rehabilitation programme in the city’s old town.
•    1997. Medal of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe  in recognition of the city’s efforts in promoting Santiago de Compostela’s European heritage.
•    1997. Manuel da Dehesa Prize . Awarded by the Ministry of Public Works, the Superior Council of Spanish Architects Associations, Menéndez Pelayo University (UIMP) and Alcalá University to the architects Álvaro Siza Vieira and Isabel Aguirre for their rehabilitation of the old Bonaval cemetery and garden as a city park, opened to the public in 1994.
•    1998. European Town Planning Prize. Awarded by the European Commission in the local planning category, after competing with 130 projects from all over the continent.
•    2001. Europa Nostra Prize 1999-2001 for the rehabilitation of Santiago Cathedral by the Xunta de Galicia’s Department of Tourism and Culture from 1997 to 1999.
•    2001. Torre Guinigi Prize. Awarded by the Italian city of Lucca (Tuscany) for the restoration work carried out in the old town in recent years.
•    2002. ‘Habitat’ Award for Best Practices (UN) (ONU). Obtained at the United Nations’ 4th International Best Practices Competition for the planning of Compostela’s Old Town protection and rehabilitation.
•    2003. Archival Prize. Awarded by the Association for Restoring Spain’s Old Towns (Archival) for being an old town rehabilitation reference for other cities and for managing to channel its restoration processes towards making the city more habitable, with a better range of services and undisputed quality of life.
•    2003. Eixo Atlántico Medal. Awarded by Eixo Atlántico do Noroeste Peninsular for the restoration and preservation work carried out on its monumental heritage.
•    2003. Manuel de la Dehesa Prize (7th Spanish Architecture Biennial). Awarded to the architect Víctor López Cotelo (Madrid, 1948), for converting an old dairy in Carme de Abaixo into a group of 21 houses. Private sector project.
•    2004. Prince of Asturias Award for Concord for the Way of St. James as a place of pilgrimage and a meeting point for people of different nations that has become a symbol of fraternity over the centuries and a cornerstone of awareness of Europe.

Environmental Protection Prizes

•    2002. ‘Escoba de Plata' for the city’s waste management and cleaning.
•    2002 and 2004. Sustainable Municipality Green Flag.
•    2002. International Best Practices Award.
•    2002. ECOMED First Prize as a Sustainable City.

Image gallery

Prize-winning city