The Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago

   Camino de Santiago (eng: Way of St. James's, Road to Santiago, St, James's Trail, Route of Santiago de Compostela), is a route crossed by pilgrims from all over Europe.  
   Her last destination is Santiago de Compostela, a city where the relics of the Holy Apostle James are located. The city is located in the north of the Spain, in the province A Coruña.
    In October 1987, the route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe; it was also named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.  In 2000, the city was declared as ''World Capital of Culture''.

Part of the route

    Santiago de Compostela is also an important destination for a Christian pilgrims, after Rome and Jerusalem. During the entire Middle Ages, this city was a popular pilgrimage destination.

History 

   It is assumed that the found relics 812. belonged St. James. This belief has spread over all over the Europe, so in the 11th century the number of pilgrims has increased considerably. Austrian king, Alfonso II of Austria, has built the church in a place where the tradition has the relics of St. James. From the 15th century this church represents the final destination of the pilgrims who choose this route.

 Pilgrimage today

    Today, people generally decide to go on this journey in order to symbolically mark some part of their lives and find spiritual fulfillment. Adventurers also decide for this route, in order to find new friendships and discover new things. This route is haven for photographers, Trekkers, Hikers. You can go on this route by feet or by bicycle. 100.000 pilgrims, crosses this route every year. They get a certificate that's called ''Compostela'', and is given on the basis of a pilgrimage passport, which is filled with stamps from the cities they passed. The passport is proof that they passed the route of St. James. Pilgrims on this road walk for several weeks and even months.


Examples of a pilgrimage passport

 Hostels

     There are hostels for pilgrims in Spain, France and Portugal. The price of accommodation is 5 - 10€, And if it's a private accommodation 10 - 16€. There are hostels known as ''Donativo'', 
 where the money for paying the accommodation is given to charity. The most famous hostel is 
'' Hostal de los Reyes Catholics'', which was built by the king Ferdinand and his wife Isabella.

Road equipment 

    The basic equipment that a traveler should have is: good Trekking shoes, Hiking stick, backpack with road symbol - shell, balsam for wounds, sleeping bag, tent, raincoat and water bottle. Always keep in mind that you do not stay out of water during the trip. The best period of the year for pilgrimage is early spring and autumn. Avoid July and August, because of the hot weather, especially in the Castile. Also not recommended for winter months due to cold and winds.

Map of Camino de Santiago routes

 Interesting cities during the pilgrimage

  •   Pamplona is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain. It’s best known for the Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermín) in July. During this legendary multiday festival, bulls are led through the city streets by daredevil runners. A major stop along the Camino de Santiago, a medieval-era pilgrimage route, Pamplona is also home to Gothic-style churches including fortresslike San Nicolás.
  •   Puente La Reina is a town and municipality located in the autonomous community of Navarra, in northern Spain. Puente la Reina lies between Pamplona and Estella on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela 
  •   Burgos, a provincial capital in Spain’s autonomous community of Castile and León, is marked by its intact medieval architecture. Its most recognizable landmark is the French Gothic Cathedral of St. Mary, whose 3 main doorways are flanked by ornamented bell towers. Inside is the Chapel of Condestable, decorated with figures of saints, and the tomb of El Cid (Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar), the 11th-century military commander.
  •   León, a city on the Bernesga River in northwest Spain, is the capital of the Province of León. It’s home to many churches and cathedrals noted for their architecture and art. Among them is the Gothic 13th-century Catedral de Léon, with its towers and flying buttresses. The Romanesque 10th-century Basílica de San Isidoro is known for its frescoes and royal tombs.
  •   Portomarín is a municipality in the Spanish province of Lugo. It has a population of 2008 and an area of 115 km². It is located on the pilgrimage route known as the French Way.
  • Astorga is a town in the province of León, northern Spain. It lies 43 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital of León, and is the head of the council of La Maragatería.The river Tuerto flows through it.
  •    Frómista is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2009 data (INE), the municipality has a population of 822 inhabitants. It is a major stopping place for pilgrims traveling along the Way of Camino de Santiago.

    Shell symbol 

       The scallop shell has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. Over the centuries the scallop shell has taken on mythical, metaphorical and practical meanings, even if its relevance may actually derive from the desire of pilgrims to take home a souvenir.Two versions of the most common myth about the origin of the symbol concern the death of Saint James, who was martyred by beheading in Jerusalem in 44 AD.
    • Version 1: After James’ death, his disciples shipped his body to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago. Off the coast of Spain a heavy storm hit the ship, and the body was lost to the ocean. After some time, however, the body washed ashore undamaged, covered in scallops.
    • Version 2: After James’ death his body was mysteriously transported by a ship with no crew back to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago. As James’ ship approached land, a wedding was taking place on the shore. The young groom was on horseback, and on seeing the ship approaching, his horse got spooked, and the horse and rider plunged into the sea. Through miraculous intervention, the horse and rider emerged from the water alive, covered in seashells. 
     

    Symbol of pilgrims, yellow shell

        As the symbol of the Camino de Santiago, the shell is seen very frequently along the trails. The shell is seen on posts and signs along the Camino in order to guide pilgrims along the way. The shell is even more commonly seen on the pilgrims themselves. Wearing a shell denotes that one is a traveler on the Camino de Santiago.
        Most pilgrims receive a shell at the beginning of their journey and either attach it to them by sewing it onto their clothes or wearing it around their neck or by simply keeping it in their backpack.
Our recommendation for the movie 
 about Camino de Santiago - The Way 2010
Enjoy



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