The Way of St. James – “Camino de Santiago”
History
The Way of St. James often known by its Spanish name, el Camino de Santiago, is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of the apostle, Saint James the Great, are buried.
The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which all sins could be forgiven; the others are the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Legend holds that St. James’s remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela.
The Modern-Day Pilgrimage
Today tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and other travelers set out each year from their front doorstep or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey. In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, there are many travelers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land.
Pilgrims on the Way of St. James walk for weeks or months to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela. They can follow many routes (any path to Santiago is a pilgrim’s path) but the most popular route is the French Way or Camino Francés. The most common starting points on the Camino Francés are Saint-Jean-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees or Roncesvalles on the Spanish side. Some pilgrims start from even further away beginning their pilgrimage from the very doorstep of their homes just as their medieval counterparts did hundreds of years ago.
In Spain and southern France, hostels for pilgrims are scattered along the common routes providing overnight accommodation for recognized pilgrims, those who hold a credential. In Spain this type o accommodation is called a refugio or an albergue. These hostels may be run by the local parish, the local council, private owners, or pilgrim’s associations.
The Pilgrim’s Passport
Most pilgrims have a document called the credential. It is stamped with an official stamp of each town or refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed. It provides walking pilgrims with a record of where they ate or slept, but also serves as proof to the Pilgrim’s office in Santiago that they journey is accomplished according to an official route. The stamped credential is also necessary if the pilgrim wants to obtain a Compostela.
The Compostela
The Compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the Compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 kilometers (cyclists mist cycle at least 200 km).
In medieval Catholicism, the “Compostela” counted as an act of indulgence. The bearer was entitled to a reduction by half of their time in purgatory, or, if the Compostela was obtained in a Holy Year, a full indulgence.
The Pilgrim office of Santiago awards more than 100,000 Compostela’s per year to pilgrims from over 100 countries.
Pilgrim’s Mass
A Pilgrim’s mass in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is held each day at noon for pilgrims. Pilgrims who received the Compostela the day before have their countries of origin and the starting point of their pilgrimage announced at the mass.
The Way of St. James often known by its Spanish name, el Camino de Santiago, is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of the apostle, Saint James the Great, are buried.
The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which all sins could be forgiven; the others are the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Legend holds that St. James’s remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela.
The Modern-Day Pilgrimage
Today tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and other travelers set out each year from their front doorstep or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey. In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, there are many travelers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land.
Pilgrims on the Way of St. James walk for weeks or months to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela. They can follow many routes (any path to Santiago is a pilgrim’s path) but the most popular route is the French Way or Camino Francés. The most common starting points on the Camino Francés are Saint-Jean-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees or Roncesvalles on the Spanish side. Some pilgrims start from even further away beginning their pilgrimage from the very doorstep of their homes just as their medieval counterparts did hundreds of years ago.
In Spain and southern France, hostels for pilgrims are scattered along the common routes providing overnight accommodation for recognized pilgrims, those who hold a credential. In Spain this type o accommodation is called a refugio or an albergue. These hostels may be run by the local parish, the local council, private owners, or pilgrim’s associations.
The Pilgrim’s Passport
Most pilgrims have a document called the credential. It is stamped with an official stamp of each town or refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed. It provides walking pilgrims with a record of where they ate or slept, but also serves as proof to the Pilgrim’s office in Santiago that they journey is accomplished according to an official route. The stamped credential is also necessary if the pilgrim wants to obtain a Compostela.
The Compostela
The Compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the Compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 kilometers (cyclists mist cycle at least 200 km).
In medieval Catholicism, the “Compostela” counted as an act of indulgence. The bearer was entitled to a reduction by half of their time in purgatory, or, if the Compostela was obtained in a Holy Year, a full indulgence.
The Pilgrim office of Santiago awards more than 100,000 Compostela’s per year to pilgrims from over 100 countries.
Pilgrim’s Mass
A Pilgrim’s mass in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is held each day at noon for pilgrims. Pilgrims who received the Compostela the day before have their countries of origin and the starting point of their pilgrimage announced at the mass.
