Tyddewi/St. David’s

Wales’ smallest city in terms of population is the resting place of the patron saint of our nation, Dewi Sant and the English translation of Tyddewi is ‘David’s house’. Located in Sir Benfro/Pembrokeshire on the afon Alun, the city is of course, dominated by its cathedral.

Dewi Sant, according to tradition, was the son of Saint Non and was born just south of Tyddewi in around 500AD. A monastery was founded on the banks of the river by Dewi sometime in the 6th century, possibly 522AD, and was characterised by the strict practices of the monastic order. In 519AD, the archbishopric of Caerllion/Caerleon was transferred to Mynyw. That area had originally been known as Mynyw in the Welsh language and to the Romans as Meneva or Menevia. Following the transfer of the archbishopric it became known as Tyddewi or Saint David’s in honour of the man.

The original cathedral was repeatedly raided by Vikings and in 1087AD it was completely burnt to destruction. The cathedral as you see it today was begun in 1181 after Henry II’s visit led to a huge increase in the following of Dewi Sant. Fifty years earlier, the Pope Calixtus II had decreed that two pilgrimages to Tyddewi were the equivalent of one pilgrimage to Rome. This helped the city and the cathedral raise vast sums of money as travelling pilgrims came from across Wales. However, as not only the act of pilgrimage but also the Catholic church fell out of favour in Wales in the last 500 years, income from these travellers dwindled considerably. Sadly, by the 19th century much of the city, apart from religious buildings were run down and the city was in a poor state. Tyddewi received another chance with the advent of tourism and the development of transport links. CADW now operate and maintain the Bishop’s Palace next to the cathedral and the whole area benefits from being in the environs of not only the stunning scenery of Sir Benfro but also, its coastal path.

Tyddewi, recognised by the English crown as a city until 1888 due to its cathedral, campaigned in the early 1990s to have that title returned. In 1992, with the 40th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation approaching, the matter was referred to Buckingham Palace. Subsequently, in 1994, the request was approved and along with Armagh in Northern Ireland, Tyddewi once again became a city.