Route of Santiago de Compostela*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Spain
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv, vi
Reference	669
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1993  (17th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Way of St. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex James or St. James' Way (Galician O camiño de Santiago, 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. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is situated in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e For people and places called Saint James, see the Saint James disambiguation page

A major Christian pilgrimage route

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the ultimate goal of the pilgrimage. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is situated in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain

The Way of St James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which a plenary indulgence could be earned; the others are the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. An indulgence, in Roman Catholic Theology, is the full or partial Remission of temporal punishment due for Sins which have already been forgiven The Via Francigena is an ancient road between Rome and Canterbury, passing through England, France, Switzerland and Italy Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the

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. There are some, however, who claim that the bodily remains at Santiago belong to Priscillian, the fourth-century Galician leader of an ascetic Christian sect, Priscillianism, who was one of the first Christian heretics to be executed. Priscillian, Bishop of Ávila (died 385 a theologian from Roman Gallaecia (in the Iberian Peninsula) was the first person in the As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Priscillianism is a Christian doctrine developed in the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania) in the 4th century by Priscillian Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief

There is not a single route; the Way can take one of any number of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World However a few of the routes are considered main ones. Santiago is such an important pilgrimage destination because it is considered the burial site of the apostle, James the Great. During the Middle Ages, the route was highly travelled. However, the Black Plague, the Protestant Reformation and political unrest in 16th- century Europe resulted in its decline. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time By the 1980s, only a few pilgrims arrived in Santiago annually. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. However, since then, the route has attracted a growing number of modern-day pilgrims from around the globe. The route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in October 1987; it was also named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 1993. A European Cultural Route is a title awarded to cultural routes recognised as significant throughout Europe by the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)

History of St James's Way

Monument to pilgrims, in the town of Burgos, Spain. History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago

The pilgrimage to Santiago has never ceased from the time of the discovery of St. James' remains, though there have been years of fewer pilgrims, particularly during European wars. During the war of American Independence, John Adams was ordered by Congress to go to Paris to obtain funds for the cause. John Adams (October 30 1735 July 4 1826 was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. A congress is a formal meeting of representatives from different countries (or by extension Constituent States, or independent organisations (such as different Trade Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city His ship started leaking and he disembarked with his two sons in Finisterre in 1779, where he proceeded to follow the Way of St. Year 1779 ( MDCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common James in the opposite direction, in order to get to Paris overland. He did not stop to visit Santiago, and came to regret this during the course of his journey. In his autobiography, he gives an accurate description of the customs and lodgings afforded to St. James pilgrims in the 18th century, and mentions the legend as it was then told to travellers:

Pre-Christian history of the route

Prior to its existence as a Christian pilgrimage, the route is believed to have had significance for the ancient pagan peoples of the Iberian peninsula also, among them the Celts, and later the pre-Christian Romans who conquered Spain. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC ^[2] The site of Santiago de Compostela itself may have been a Roman shrine or trade route. Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo ^[3]

To this day, many pilgrims continue from Santiago de Compostela to the Atlantic coast of Galicia, to finish their journeys at Spain's westernmost point Cape Finisterre (Galician: Fisterra). Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Although Cape Finisterre is not the westernmost point of mainland Europe (Cabo da Roca in Portugal is further west) the fact that the Romans called it Finisterrae (literally the end of the world, or Land's End in Latin) indicates that they viewed it as such. Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost point of both mainland Europe and Mainland Portugal. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

Pagan influences can still be seen along the Way; indeed, some of the modern-day pilgrims declare themselves more attracted to the pagan legends associated with the Way than to the Christian ones. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world One legend holds that walking the route was a pagan fertility ritual; this is one explanation for the scallop shell being a symbol of the pilgrimage. A scallop (ˈskɒləp or /ˈskæləp/ is a marine Bivalve Mollusk of the family Pectinidae. An alternative interpretation is that the scallop, which resembles the setting sun, was the focus of pre-Christian Celtic rituals of the area. That is to say, the pre-Christian origin of the Way of St. James was a Celtic death journey, westwards towards the setting sun, terminating at the End of the World (Finisterra) on the "Coast of Death" (Costa de Morta) and the "Sea of Darkness" (that is, the Abyss of Death, the Mare Tenebrosum, Latin for the Atlantic Ocean, itself named after the Dying Civilization of Atlantis). ^[4][3]

The Pilgrims'road is known to follow the Milky way of ancient navigation and it seems related to prehistoric cults of Fertility arriving to Atlantic Europe from Mediterranean shores. The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias sometimes referred to simply Symbols of Ashtarte ,the star within a circle,or Aphrodite,Venus coming on a shell,have been found along the roads to Compostela and among the ancient basques' mythology and legends,those related to Mari, the Mairu and the rising of Megaliths. Astarte (from Greek Ἀστάρτη ( Astártē) is the name of a Goddess as known from Northwestern Semitic regions cognate in name origin The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University Mairu (or mairuak with the Basque plural also called intxisu (ak in the Bidasoa valley were in Basque mythology, giants who built Indeed,the name 'Compostelae' may mean "the Field of the Star", associated with some mystical Death and rebirth. Joseph Campbell associated the cult of Mari to that of Ishtar and Kali and in pre-Israelites times, the rejected consort of God called "the great prostitute",Asherah. Joseph John Campbell ( March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American Mythology Professor, Writer Ishtar ( D IŠTAR 𒀭𒌋𒁯 is the Assyrian and Babylonian counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to Kali redirects here See Kali (disambiguation for other uses Not to be confused with Kali (demon, the personification of Kali Yuga Asherah (from Hebrew אשרה generally taken as identical with the Ugaritic goddess Athirat (more accurately transcribed as ʼAṯirat) was

The significance of the scallop symbol

St. James pilgrim accesories

St. James is sometimes depicted as St. James the Moor Slayer, as well as 'St. James' the Pilgrim.

See also: Shell of Saint James

The scallop shell, typically found on the shores in Galicia, has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. A scallop (ˈskɒləp or /ˈskæləp/ is a marine Bivalve Mollusk of the family Pectinidae. Over the centuries the scallop shell has taken on mythical, metaphorical and practical meaning.

There are different accounts of the mythical origin of the symbol. Which account is taken depends on who is telling the story. Two versions of the most common myth are:

James the Greater, the brother of John, was killed in Jerusalem for his convictions about his brother. James had spent some time preaching on the Iberian Peninsula.

1. (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.
2. (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 bridegroom 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.

Besides being the mythical symbol, the scallop shell also acts as a metaphor. The grooves in the shell, which come together at a single point, represent the various routes pilgrims traveled, eventually arriving at a single destination: the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela. The scallop shell is also a metaphor for the pilgrim. As the waves of the ocean wash scallop shells up on the shores of Galicia, God's hand also guided the pilgrims to Santiago.

The scallop shell served practical purposes for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago as well. The shell was the right size for gathering water to drink or for eating out of as a makeshift bowl. Also, because the scallop shell is native to the shores of Galicia, the shell functioned as proof of completion. By having a scallop shell, a pilgrim could almost certainly prove that he or she had finished the pilgrimage and had actually seen the "end of the world" which at that point in history was the Western coast of Spain.

The reference to St. James rescuing a "knight covered in scallops" is therefore a reference to St. James healing, or resurrecting, a dying (setting sun) knight. Note also that the knight obviously would have had to be "under the waters of death" for quite some time for shellfish to have grown over him. Similarly, the notion of the "Sea of Darkness" (Atlantic Ocean) disgorging St. James' body, so that his relics are (allegedly) buried at Santiago de Compostella on the coast, is itself a metaphor for "rising up out of Death", that is, resurrection.

See also: Pilgrim's hat

The pilgrim's staff is a walking stick used by pilgrim's to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. A pilgrim's hat, cockel hat or traveller's hat is a wide brim hat used to keep off the sun Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World ^[5] Generally, the stick has a hook on it so that something may be hung from it. The walking stick sometimes has a cross piece on it. ^[6]

See also: Pilgrim's staff

The route during the Medieval period

Saint James the Great with his pilgrim's staff. The pilgrim's staff is a walking stick used by pilgrim's on the Way of St For people and places called Saint James, see the Saint James disambiguation page The hat is typical, but he often wears his emblem, the scallop shell on the front brim of the hat or elsewhere on his clothes (it may have been lost because of the deterioration of the painting)

The earliest records of visits paid to the shrine dedicated to St. James at Santiago de Compostela date from the 8th century, in the time of the Kingdom of Asturias. Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Kingdom of Asturias was the first Christian political entity to be established in the Iberian peninsula after the collapse of the Visigothic The pilgrimage to the shrine became the most renowned medieval pilgrimage, and it became customary for those who returned from Compostela to carry back with them a Galician scallop shell as proof of their completion of the journey. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. A scallop (ˈskɒləp or /ˈskæləp/ is a marine Bivalve Mollusk of the family Pectinidae. This practice was gradually extended to other pilgrimages.

The earliest recorded pilgrims from beyond the Pyrenees visited the shrine in the middle of the 10th century, but it seems that it was not until a century later that large numbers of pilgrims from abroad were regularly journeying there. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés The earliest records of pilgrims that arrived from England belong to the period between 1092 and 1105. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland However, by the early 12th century the pilgrimage had become a highly organized affair.

One of the great proponents of the pilgrimage in the 12th century was Calixtus II who started the Compostelan Holy Years. Blessed Pope Callixtus II (or Calistus II) (died December 13 1124) born Guy de Vienne, the fourth son of William I Count of Burgundy ^[7] The official guide in those times was the Codex Calixtinus. The Codex Calixtinus is a 12th century Illuminated manuscript formerly attributed to Pope Callixtus II, though now believed to have been arranged by the Published around 1140, the 5th book of the Codex is still considered the definitive source for many modern guidebooks. Four pilgrimage routes listed in the Codex originate in France and converge at Puente la Reina. Not to be confused with Casalarreina in neighbouring La Rioja. From there, a well-defined route crosses northern Spain, linking Burgos, Carrión de los Condes, Sahagún, León, Astorga, and Compostela. History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago Carrión de los Condes is a municipality in the province of Palencia of the Autonomous Community of Castile and Leon, in Spain. History León was founded in the 1st century BC by the Roman legion Legio VI ''Victrix''. Astorga is a small city and Episcopal see, located in the province of León of Spain.

The daily needs of pilgrims on their way to, and from, Compostela were met by a series of hospitals and hospices. A hospital is an institution for Health care providing treatment by specialised staff and equipment and often but not always providing for Palliative care (from Latin palliare to cloak is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of Disease Symptoms These had royal protection and were a lucrative source of revenue. A new genre of ecclesiastical architecture, Romanesque, with its massive archways, was designed to cope with huge devout crowds. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which There was also the now- familiar paraphernalia of tourism, such as the selling of badges and souvenirs. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Since the Christian symbol for James the Greater was the scallop shell, many pilgrims would wear this as a sign to anyone on the road that they were a pilgrim. For people and places called Saint James, see the Saint James disambiguation page This gave them privileges to sleep in churches and ask for free meals, but also warded off thieves who did not dare attack devoted pilgrims.

The pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela was possible because of the protection and freedom provided by the Kingdom of France, where the majority of pilgrims originated. Enterprising French people (including Gascons and other peoples not under the French crown) settled in towns along the pilgrimage routes, where their names appear in the archives. Gascony (Gascogne gaskɔɲ Gascon Occitan: Gasconha, pronounced) is an area of southwest France that constituted a province of France The pilgrims were tended by people like Domingo de la Calzada who was later recognized as a saint himself. Saint Dominic de la Calzada (or Dominic of the Causeway; Santo Domingo de la Calzada ( May 12, 1019 - 1109 was a Saint from a cottage in

Pilgrims would walk the Way of St. James, often for months, in order to arrive at the great church in the main square of Compostela to pay homage to St. James. So many pilgrims have laid their hands on the pillar just inside the doorway of the church that a groove has been worn in the stone.

Oddly, the popular Spanish name for the astronomical Milky Way is El Camino de Santiago. The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias sometimes referred to simply The Milky Way was said to be formed from the dust raised by travelling pilgrims in a common medieval legend. ^[8]. Compostela itself means 'field of stars'. ^[3]

The pilgrimage as penance

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

The Church employed a system of rituals to atone for temporal punishment due to sins known as penance. Penance is repentance of Sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession According to this system, pilgrimages were a suitable form of expiation for some temporal punishment, and they could be used as acts of penance for those who were guilty of certain crimes. As noted in the Catholic Encyclopedia,

There is still a tradition in Flanders of freeing one prisoner a year^[10] under the condition that this prisoner walk to Santiago wearing a heavy backpack, accompanied by a guard. Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

The modern-day pilgrimage

The modern symbol of the way

Today tens of thousands^[11] of Christian pilgrims and other travellers set out each year from their front doorstep, or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A pilgrim is one who undertakes a Pilgrimage, literally 'far afield' Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey (for example, the British author and humorist Tim Moore). Bicycle touring is a Leisure Travel activity which involves touring exploring or Sightseeing by Bicycle. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A humorist is a person who writes or performs humorous material Tim Moore (born May 18, 1964 in Chipping Norton) is a British travel writer and humorist In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, there are many travellers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. Also, many consider the experience a spiritual adventure to remove themselves from the bustle of modern life. It acts as a retreat for many modern "pilgrims".

Routes to Santiago

For more details on this topic, see Way of St. James (route descriptions). The Way of St James extends from all corners of Europe, and even North Africa, on its way to Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre

A post marking the way

Pilgrims on the Way of St. James walk for weeks or months to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela. Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World 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 are cities in Spain situated along this route. The Way of St James extends from all corners of Europe, and even North Africa, on its way to Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Historically, most of the pilgrims came from France, due to the Codex Calixtinus. The Codex Calixtinus is a 12th century Illuminated manuscript formerly attributed to Pope Callixtus II, though now believed to have been arranged by the For this reason, the Spanish consider the Pyrenees the starting point. Common starting points along the French border are Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or Somport on the French side of the Pyrenees and Roncesvalles or Jaca on the Spanish side. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (literally meaning "Saint John at the foot of the mountain pass" in French) ( Basque: Donibane Garazi) is a commune Somport (known also as Aspe Pass, Canfranc Pass, Puerto del Somport, and Col du Somport) (el The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés Roncesvalles (Roncevaux Orreaga is a small village and Municipality of northern Spain ( Navarre Cities) in the province of Navarre Jaca ( Chaca in Aragonese) is a City of northeastern Spain near the border with France, in the midst of the Pyrenees in

However, many pilgrims begin further afield, in one of the four French towns which are common and traditional starting points: Le Puy, Vézelay, Arles and Tours. Le Puy-en-Velay ( Lo Puèi de Velai in Occitan, pronounced ˈpœj də ˈvəlaj is a commune of south-central France Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne département in the Bourgogne région of France. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, Tours is a city in France the Préfecture (capital city of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Cluny, site of the celebrated medieval abbey, was another important rallying point for pilgrims, and, in 2002, it was integrated into the official European pilgrimage route linking Vézelay and Le Puy. The town and commune of Cluny or Clugny lies in the modern-day département of Saône-et-Loire in the région Some pilgrims start from even further away, though their routes will often pass through one of the four French towns mentioned. Some Europeans begin their pilgrimage from the very doorstep of their homes just as their medieval counterparts did hundreds of years ago.

Pilgrims coming from Northern and Eastern Europe historically passed through Switzerland. Today the historic route has been restored, beginning at the Lake of Constance and ending in Geneva at the French border. The route passes by three traditional pilgrimage places, Einsiedeln, Flüeli Ranft, and the Caves of Saint Beatus. Einsiedeln is a municipality of 13062 in Switzerland in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery the The path also passes through historic cities including St. Gall, Lucerne, Schwyz, Interlaken, Thun, Fribourg and Lausanne. Saint Gall, Gallen, or Gallus (c 550 - c 646 was an Irish disciple and one of the traditionally twelve companions of Saint Columbanus Lucerne ( Italian Lucerna) is a city in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne The town of (Schwyz Svitto is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. Interlaken is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination Thun (Thoune is a municipality in the district of Thun in the canton of Berne in Switzerland with about 42136 inhabitants ( Fribourg ( French) (Freiburg or de Freiburg im [[Üechtland]], often Fribourg) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Lausanne ( pronounced, Losanna is a city in Romandy, the French -speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva

Pilgrims' accommodation

St. James's shell, a symbol of the route, on a wall in León, Spain

In Spain and southern France, pilgrim's hostels dot the common routes providing overnight accommodation for recognized pilgrims, those who hold a credencial. History León was founded in the 1st century BC by the Roman legion Legio VI ''Victrix''. The Way of St James extends from all corners of Europe, and even North Africa, on its way to Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre (See below. ) In Spain this type of accommodation is called a refugio or an albergue, both of which are similar to youth hostels or hostelries in the French system of Gîtes d'étape; beds are in dormitories, and they usually cost between three and seven Euros per night, but a few operate on voluntary donations and are known as donativos. Hostels provide budget-oriented accommodation where guests can rent a bed, sometimes a Bunk bed in a Dormitory and share a bathroom A gîte, (masculine gender, pronounced /ʒɪt/ is a French holiday home that is available for rent Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Pilgrims are usually limited to one night's accommodation.

These hostels may be run by the local parish, the local council, private owners, or pilgrims' associations. Occasionally these refugios are located in monasteries, such as the one in Samos, Spain, run by monks or the one in Santiago de Compostela. Samos is a village in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.

The Pilgrim's passport

St. James pilgrim passport stamps in Spain for the Camino Frances

St. James pilgrim passport stamps in France on the Via Turenensis (Tours route) for the Chemin de St. Jacques de Compostelle. The World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France lists the major French towns with stamps. In 1998 several sites in France were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

Most pilgrims have a document called the credencial, which they have purchased for a few euros through a Spanish tourist agency or their local church, depending on their starting location. The credencial is a pass which allows (sometimes free) overnight accommodation in refugios. Also known as the "Pilgrim's passport", the credencial is stamped with the official St. James 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 the journey is accomplished according to an official route. The credencial is available at refugios, tourist offices, some local parish houses, and outside Spain, through the national St. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. James organisation of that country. The stamped credencial is also necessary if the pilgrim wants to obtain a Compostela, a certificate of completion of the pilgrimage.

Most often the stamp can be obtained in the refugio, Cathedral or local church. If the church is closed, the town hall or office of tourism can provide a stamp, as well as nearby youth hostels or private St. James addresses. Outside Spain, the stamp can be associated with somewhat of a ceremony, where the stamper and the pilgrim can share information. As the pilgrimage approaches Santiago however, the increased number of pilgrims cause many of the stamps in small towns to be self-service, while in the larger towns there are several options to obtain the necessary stamp.

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 km (cyclists must cycle at least 200 km). In practice for walkers, that means starting in the small city of Sarria, for it has good transportation connections via bus and rail to other places in Spain. Sarria is a municipality in the province of Lugo, northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela who have walked at least the last 100 km, or cycled 200 km to get there (as indicated on their credencial), are eligible for this compostela from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago. Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World

In medieval Catholicism, the compostela counted as an act of indulgence. An indulgence, in Roman Catholic Theology, is the full or partial Remission of temporal punishment due for Sins which have already been forgiven The pilgrim was entitled to a partial indulgence, or, if the compostela was obtained in a Holy Year, a plenary indulgence. The concept of the Jubilee is a special year of remission of Sins and universal pardon An indulgence, in Roman Catholic Theology, is the full or partial Remission of temporal punishment due for Sins which have already been forgiven The full text of the certificate is in Latin and reads:

CAPITULUM hujus Almae Apostolicae et Metropolitanae Ecclesiae Compostellanae sigilli Altaris Beati Jacobi Apostoli custos, ut omnibus Fidelibus et Perigrinis ex toto terrarum Orbe, devotionis affectu vel voti cosa, ad limina Apostoli Nostri Hispaniarum Patroni ac Tutelaris SANCTI JACOBI convenientibus, authenticas visitationis litteras expediat, omnibus et singulis praesentes inspecturis, notum facit : (Latin version of name of recipient) Hoc sacratissimum Templum pietatis causa devote visitasse. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In quorum fidem praesentes litteras, sigillo ejusdem Sanctae Ecclesiae munitas, ei confero. Datum Compostellae die (day) mensis (month) anno Dni (year) Canonicus Deputatus pro Peregrinis

The pilgrim passport is examined carefully for stamps and dates. If a key stamp is missing, or if the pilgrim does not claim a religious purpose for their pilgrimage, the compostela may be refused. The Pilgrim office of Santiago awards more than 100,000 compostelas 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. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is situated in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain 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 modern pilgrimage in television and film

Art critic and journalist Brian Sewell made a journey to Santiago de Compostela for a television series The Naked Pilgrim for UK's Channel Five in 2003. Brian Sewell (born 15 July 1931) is a British Art critic. He writes for the Evening Standard and is noted for his artistic The Naked Pilgrim is documentary series produced by British broadcaster Five and presented by art critic Brian Sewell. Travelling by car along the French route, he visits many towns and cities on the way: stop offs include Paris, Chartres, Roncesvalles, Burgos, Leon and Frómista. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Chartres is a town and commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in north-central France It is located 96 km southwest of Paris Roncesvalles (Roncevaux Orreaga is a small village and Municipality of northern Spain ( Navarre Cities) in the province of Navarre History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago LEON is a Computer CPU core specifically a 32-bit Microprocessor based on RISC design Frómista is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. Sewell, a lapsed Catholic, is moved by the stories of other pilgrims and by the sights he sees. The series climaxes with Sewell's emotional response to the Mass at Compostela.

The pilgrimage is central to the plot of The Milky Way (1969 film) by surrealist director Luis Buñuel. The Milky Way ( La Voie Lactée) is a 1969 film directed by Luis Buñuel. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members Luis Buñuel Portolés (22 February 1900 &ndash 29 July 1983 was a Spanish -born Filmmaker and naturalized Mexican who worked mainly in Mexico However, the film is intended to be a critique of the Catholic church, as the modern pilgrims encounter various manifestations of Catholic dogma and heresy.

The pilgrimage as tourism

The Galician government seeks to make the Way into a popular tourist destination. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel When there is a Holy Compostellan Year (whenever July 25 falls on a Sunday; the next will be 2010) the Galician government's Xacobeo tourism campaign is unleashed once more. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler

The Way's name in other languages

The Way of St. James is most often referred to by the names used in the areas it passes:

• Spanish: El Camino de Santiago or simply El Camino
• Galician: O Camiño de Santiago or Ruta Xacobea
• Basque: Donejakue Bidea
• French: O Camiño de Santiago or le chemin de Saint Jacques''
• Portuguese: O Caminho de Santiago

Further reading

Pilgrim's guides and travelogues

• Confraternity of St. James, "Pilgrim Guides To Spain 1. Basque ( native name: euskara) is the Language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The Confraternity of Saint James is a Pilgrim 's association educational charity and book publisher for the ancient and modern-day Pilgrim route The Camino Francés".
• Account of a horse back journey along the St James Way

Fiction and other literary works

• Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage
• Shirley MacLaine, The Camino
• James Michener, Iberia; contains one chapter about the Camino de Santiago
• Tim Moore, Spanish Steps'
• Tracy Saunders, Pilgrimage to Heresy, a fictionalised account of the pilgrimage. Paulo Coelho (ˈpau̯lu ˈko̯eʎu (born August 24, 1947) is a Brazilian Lyricist and Novelist. The Pilgrimage ( Diário de Um Mago, in Portuguese) is a 1987 Novel by Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho. Shirley MacLaine (born April 24, 1934) is an American Academy Award -winning Film and Theater Actress, well-known James Albert Michener ( February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American author of more than 40 titles the majority of which Iberia, by James A Michener (original title Iberia Spanish Travels and Reflections) is a detailed and illustrated exploration of Spain at Tim Moore (born May 18, 1964 in Chipping Norton) is a British travel writer and humorist Suggests (after Professor Henry Chadwick) that the tomb in Compostela may be the burial site of Priscillian, Bishop of Avila, executed for "heresy and witchcraft" by the Romans in 385 CE. Henry Chadwick KBE (23 June 1920 &ndash 17 June 2008 was a British Academic and Church of England Clergyman A former Dean

See also

• World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
• Confraternity of Saint James
• Order of Santiago
• Dominic de la Calzada
• Cross of Saint James

External links

General information

• The official site of the Santiago de Compostela cathedral
• Compostela Group of Universities - a network of Universities preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the route

Camino Confraternities

• Site of The Confraternity of Saint James, England
• Site of the American Pilgrims on the Camino
• Site of The Canadian Company of Pilgrims

Travel information

• Pilgrim Wiki, a pilgrim guide written by pilgrims
• The Camino - The pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in pictures
• General information about the Camino de Santiago de Compostela
• Forum on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
• Way of St. James travel guide from Wikitravel

Link collections

• Xacowebs Collection of websites related to Way of St. In 1998 several sites in France were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. The Confraternity of Saint James is a Pilgrim 's association educational charity and book publisher for the ancient and modern-day Pilgrim route This article deals with the Spanish Order of knighthood For the Portuguese Order see Order of St Saint Dominic de la Calzada (or Dominic of the Causeway; Santo Domingo de la Calzada ( May 12, 1019 - 1109 was a Saint from a cottage in The Cross of St James, similar to a Cross Flory Fitch or Cross Fitchy is formed by a Cross Flory, where the lower part is fashioned as a sword blade (similar Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. James
• International Bibliography
• Account of two horse back journeys along the St James Way and the via Francigena

References

1. ^ John Adams autobiography, part 3, Peace, 1779-1780, sheet 10 of 18. Harvard University Press, 1961 (August, 2007).
2. ^ http://www.eurovia.tv/home/content/view/62/144/lang,en/
3. ^ ^{a b c} http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/telegraph/04camino/04000001.htm
4. ^ http://www.europe.org.uk/index/-/id/289/
5. ^ Pilgrim's Way to Santiago curiosities Navarre tourism guide
6. ^ Pilgrim's or Palmer's Staff, (fr. bourdon): this was used as a device in a coat of arms as early at least as Edward II. 's reign, as will be seen. The Staff and the Escallop shell(q. v. ) were the badge of the pilgrim, and hence it is but natural it should find its way into the shields of those who had visited the Holy Land. The usual form of representation is figure 1, but in some the hook is wanting, and when this is the case it is scarcely distinguishable from a pastoral staff as borne by some of the monasteries: it is shown in figure 2. While, too, it is represented under different forms, it is blazoned as will be seen also, under different names, e. g. a pilgrim's crutch, a crutch-staff, &c. , but there is no reason to suppose that the different names can be correlated with different figures. The crutch, perhaps, should be represented with the transverse piece on the top of the staff (like the letter T) instead of across it. heraldsnet.org
7. ^ http://www.caminoguides.com/history.html
8. ^ Visions of the Milky Way, Giovanni F. Bignami, Science 26 March 2004 303: 1979
9. ^ Pilgrimages, New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, retrieved Dec 1, 2006
10. ^ Turismo de Bélgica. Huellas españolas en Flandes. The New Catholic Encyclopedia is a multivolume Reference work on Roman Catholic history and belief edited by the faculty of The Catholic University
11. ^ "The present-day pilgrimage", Confraternity of Saint James, July 26, 2006.