Camino de Santiago
by Mike McDougall
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 El
Camino de Santiago, or as it is known in English, the Way of St James,
is one of any number of pilgrimage routes to the cathedral set in the town
of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia - situated in the north-western most
part of Spain. One of the apostles, St James the Great, is said to be buried
there. Legend has it that St James' remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem
to northern Spain where they were discovered in Compostela. This pilgrimage
is renowned to be one of the most important in Christianity since medieval
times, along with those to Rome and Jerusalem . The route has existed for
over 1000 years and recently, has been attracting more and more visitors.
Each year thousands of people
set out to walk along the route from a variety of starting points scattered
across Europe , the most popular being at St Albain. People walk, cycle
or even go by horseback for weeks and months. The route has now become
so popular, it is no longer used exclusively by Christians - non-Christians
are using the route to have hiking and cycling holidays.
| Of all the routes on El
Camino de Santiago, the most popular is the Camino Francés which
runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees, across
the mountains and through to Santiago de Compostela. This route was originally
the path taken from one oasis to another one on the other side of the mountains.
There are three routes on the pilgrimage that originate in different parts
of France (Paris, Vézelay and Le Puy) and converge on Saint-Jean.
El Camino de Santiago was
declared as the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe
in October 1987 and inscribed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in
1993.
Records of people visiting
the cathedral containing St James' remains date back to the 8th century.
Even then it was one of the most renowned pilgrimage routes and those who
completed it would return from Galicia with scallop shells to prove to
others that they had done the journey.
Once the Catholic Church
had established its rules of penance for those seeking absolution after
confession, pilgrimages were decided upon as an adequate punishment for
certain crimes, and El Camino de Santiago became busier. The Catholic Encyclopedia
at the time stated: |
Pilgrims,
Santiago De Compostela, Galicia
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"In the registers of the
Inquisition at Carcassone... we find the four following places noted as
being the centres of the greater pilgrimages to be imposed as penances
for the graver crimes, the tomb of the Apostles at Rome, the shrine of
St. James at Compostela, St. Thomas's body at Canterbury, and the relics
of the Three Kings at Cologne."
Before the route became a
popular Catholic pilgrimage, the route also had significance with the Romans
and the Celts that lived in the northern areas of Spain . It is thought
that the site was that of a Roman shrine. Even today, many people on the
pilgrim route continue to follow it to the coast of Galicia and Cape Finisterre,
which is the most westerly point of Europe . In Roman times, Finisterra
represented a sacred location as they thought it marked the end of the
world. These pagan influences can still be seen along the way and amongst
the pilgrims themselves.
top
Camino
de Santiago Tour from Bilbao by Self Drive and Independently Walking with
some guides and meals
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