CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
COMPOSTELA
(The Way of St. James)
El Camino de Santiago
• The Way of St. James or St. James' Way (Galician: O Camiño
de Santiago,Spanish: El Camino de Santiago)
• is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de
Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition
has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.
• During medieval times, it was one of the 3 great pilgrimages
Christians made:
– 1. Rome
– 2. Jerusalem
– 3. Santiago de Compostela, Spain
It was believed that all ones’ sins were forgiven after making a
pilgrimage.
• Legend holds that St. James‘ remains were
carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern
Spain where he was buried on the site of what
is now the city of Santiago de Compostela.
• The main pilgrimage route to Santiago follows
an earlier Roman trade route, which continues
to the Atlantic coast of Galicia, ending at Cape
Finisterre.
Beginning
in France
the routes
stretch
more than
800 kl into
Spain.
It takes
more than
a month to
walk the
ENTIRE
route.
Pilgrims
have to
cross the
Pyrenees
mountains
.
St. James the Greater
• With Peter and John, James was clearly one of Jesus's closest
friends during his ministry, and as such, it is instructive to look
for traces of him outside the canonical gospels. Yet, there is
no known information about him in the apocryphal gospels.
• James's absence from the apocryphal gospels is odd, given his
pre-eminence in the canonical gospels, but might be
explained in part by his early martyrdom, and in part by his
departure from Jerusalem: legend has it that when the
Apostles divided the known world into missionary zones, the
Iberian peninsula fell to James. There is nothing intrinsically
implausible about this: Spain was already a well-established
part of the Roman world, and Paul, writing in 56 or 57
(Romans 15, 24 & 28), is clear about his own desire to make a
missionary journey to Spain.
• Walking the Via de la Plata (which follows the
Roman road north from Seville) today gives
you a vivid impression of the Spain James (or
Paul) would have known.
• 7th and 8th century documents (i.e. prior to the discovery of
the tomb) refer to the belief that James spent a number of
years preaching in Spain before returning to Jerusalem, and
martyrdom. His followers are believed to have carried his
body down to the coast and put it into a stone boat, which
was carried by angels and the wind beyond the Pillars of
Hercules (the straits of Gibraltar), to land near Finisterre, at
Padrón, on the Atlantic coast of northern Spain.
• The local Queen, Lupa, provided the team of oxen used to
draw the body from Padrón to the site of the marble tomb
(Arca Marmorica), a little way inland, which she had also
provided. The saint was believed to have been buried with
two of his own disciples, Athanasius and Theodore. The site of
his tomb was forgotten for some 800 years.
• Early in the 9th century a hermit, Pelayo, was
led by a vision to the spot. The tomb was
rediscovered, and the relics authenticated as
those of St James by the local bishop. Spain at
this period sorely needed a new champion or
focus to inspire Christians against the invading
Moors. The rediscovery came therefore at a
most propitious moment. And the pilgrimage
began ...
Pilgrims receive
stamped record at
Pilgrimage Office.
Walking the Camino
The Hill of Joy – 5 Miles before
Destination!
The Pillar
Inside the Cathedral
SCALLOP SHELL
• The scallop shell, often found on the shores in
Galicia, 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.
• 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, it washed ashore undamaged,
covered in scallops
• The scallop shell also acts as a
metaphor. The grooves in the
shell, which meet at a single
point, represent the various
routes pilgrims traveled,
eventually arriving at a single
destination: the tomb of James
in Santiago de Compostela. The
shell is also a metaphor for the
pilgrim: As the waves of the
ocean wash scallop shells up
onto the shores of Galicia,
God's hand also guides the
pilgrims to Santiago
A marker in the pavement indicates the
route of the Way of St. James
through Navarrete, La Rioja, Spain.
PILGRIM STORIES
• In the Middle Ages Santiago de Compostela
first became a popular sight for pilgrimage.
• The pilgrimages to the Shrine of St. James at
Santiago de Compostela led to the
construction of a network of roads, churches,
and lodging for the convenience of travelers.
• Churches along the way functioned as stops
for pilgrims traveling the route. These
churches were designed to contain the mass
audiences that traveled the routes.
• Pilgrims in the tens of thousands traveled
throughout Europe to make pilgrimage. These
pilgrims were drawn to churches to see the
relics that they housed.
• Pilgrims stopped
at Churches and
homes and told
stories –
catechized the
illiterate.
• Myths arose
• Legends
• Miracle stories
(Read 30
Pilgrims)
• Illustrated books.
• Guide books.
A Legend
I have always regretted that We could not find time to make a Pilgrimage to
Saint Iago de Compostella. We were informed, ... that the Original (story about)
the Shrine and Temple of St. Iago was this:
A certain Shepherd saw a bright Light there in the night. Afterwards it was
revealed to an Archbishop that St. James was buried there. This laid the
Foundation of a Church, and they have built an Altar on the Spot where the
Shepherd saw the Light. In the time of the Moors, the People made a Vow, that
if the Moors should be driven from this Country, they would give a certain
portion of the income of their Lands to Saint James. The Moors were defeated
and expelled and it was reported and believed, that Saint James was in the
Battle and fought with a drawn Sword at the head of the Spanish Troops, on
Horseback. The People, believing that they owed the Victory to the Saint, very
cheerfully fulfilled their Vows by paying the Tribute. ...Upon the supposition
that this is the place of the Sepulchre of Saint James, there are great numbers
of Pilgrims, who visit it, every Year, from France, Spain, Italy and other parts of
Europe, many of them on foot. ”
—Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society
JPII - PILGRIM
THE WAY
(starring Martin
Sheen)
EXTRA CREDIT:
Watch this and
write a 700 word
reflection on the
movie
for 25 extra
credit points!
Videos
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4mRnoZ
uiZU
• Botafumeiro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpvHaH36
anA
• Light show:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi44jK
QUjc