Botafumeiro

The Botafumeiro is especially celebrated for its swinging motion during the Pilgrim's Mass and other solemn dates, where it can reach speeds of about 60 km/h.

The current Botafumeiro is made of an alloy of brass and bronze and is plated by a very thin 20-micrometre layer of silver.

The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is one of the largest censers in the world,[2] weighing 80 kg[3] and measuring 1.93 m in height.

[9][10] Before 2004, the ropes were woven from hemp,[11] or a type of grass called esparto,[7] and made in Vigo, Spain.

One tradition has it that the use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in the 11th century.

[citation needed] In the 13th century, the pulley mechanism was changed to incorporate a set of coaxial drums of different diameters.

[19][failed verification] Without this innovation, the largest excursion of the Botafumeiro would be about 1.5 meters, the length of the rope pulled by the tiraboleiros.

[citation needed] In the 15th century, France's King Louis XI (1423–1483) donated money to the cathedral to replace their medieval thurible, which was made of silver.

Unfortunately, this ornate vessel was stolen by Napoleon's troops in April, 1809, during an episode in the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1814).

After 155 years of use, the Botafumeiro was restored in early 2006 by artisans and craftsmen working under Luis Molina Acedo.

They repaired the dents and cracks in the Botafumeiro and reapplied a 20 micrometre thick plating of silver to the vessel.

She was on a journey to marry the heir to the English throne in 1499 and stopped by the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.