Santiago de Compostela: The Pilgrim's Road

A pilgrimage is defined as "a journey made to a shrine or sacred place" or "any long or arduous journey". The pilgrimage most people in North America are most familiar with is probably from Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales". There are many other journeys and one that has captured my imagination is the pilgrim's road to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I am not religious but the idea of doing such a walk and walking in the footsteps of so many others really appeals to me.

Geography:

Santiago de Compostela is in the north western Spain. It is the capital of Galicia and lies 35km/22m from the Atlantic Ocean. The pilgrim's road runs from east to west, paralleling the northern shore of Spain. One main route from France traverses the Pyrenees and goes through Pamplona, Burgos and Leon. You can see the various routes on this map at the Telegraph Online newspaper Santiago site.

History:

Santiago de Compostela is named after James the Apostle. After preaching the gospel in Spain, he returned to Palestine, where he was beheaded by Herod Agrippa in 44 AD. His followers stole his body and moved it to an undisclosed location. In 813 AD, his body was found after a hermit was said to have followed a star to it . A church was built on the site (now the cathedral), and the town of Santiago de Compostela rose around it.

In 844, at the Battle of Clavijo, the Apostle is said to have appeared riding a horse. He led the Christians armies to defeat the Moors and became "Santiago Matamoros" - St. James the Moor Slayer, and Patron Saint of Spain.

Pilgrimages were made to the shrine to St. James, following several routes lined with hostels monasteries and churches. Also known as the "Way of St. James", the road was used by pilgrim's from northern and central Europe. The walk was very popular in 11th and 12th century because the Palestinian religious sites were not accessible due to war with the Turks. It became one of the top three Christian pilgrimages, along with Jerusalem and Rome.

Due to problems with thieves, pilgrims would travel in groups and dress distinctively, wearing a broad brimmed hat, carrying a staff and a scallop shell, the emblem of St. James and the symbol of the pilgrim.

The magnificent cathedral that now stands on the site of the tomb of St. James was built between 1060-1211.

People still travel the pilgrim's road, walking, cycling and driving. There are still hostels along the way and pilgrim's still find hospitality. The route has its dangers still and people so go in groups, for safety and companionship.

The city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

Books:

I have several books about the road to Compostela:

• "Off the Road"
by Jack Hitt

A very informative and humorous book, combining Spanish history, Freemasonry, the Knights Templar and pastoral settings with the arduous 500 mile journey from France to Santiago. Hitt interacts with a bizarre cast of characters and does a great job of sounding miserable and exhilarated at the same time. The culture shock of going from being a main stream American to a smelly, tired pilgrim is obvious.

• "Pilgrim's Road"
by Bettina Selby

Riding a bicycle and being followed by a television camera, British adventurer Bettina Selby adds the pilgrimage to her many journeys (including Timbuktu, Ararat and Jerusalem).

• "Roads to Santiago" by Cees Nooteboom

Another travelogue, written by one of the Netherland's most popular writers, blends Spanish history, architecture, art, and politics with the journey along the road.

• "El Camino: Walking to Santiago de Compostela"
by Lee Hoinacki

Story of a former Dominican priest's 1993 walk.

• "The Field of the Star" by Nicholas Luard

Man's journey along the road, trying to deal with the fact that his daughter, with whom he has a challenging relationship, is dying of AIDS related cancer.

• "The Pilgrim's Guide to Santiago de Compostela" by William Melczer

The book to start with if you are really interested in the Road. Commentaries, notes, historical information, culture and the first complete English translation of Book 5 of the Codex Calixtinus, a twelfth century guidebook.

• "The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages - A book of essays" edited by Maryjane Dunn and Linda Kay Davidson
• "The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom" by Paulo Coelho

Books on pilgrimage in general and other interesting stuff:

• "The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred"
by Phil Coustineau

A really interesting and informative book that any potential pilgrim would find both enjoyable and enlightening.

• "One Thousand Roads to Mecca: Ten Centuries of Travelers Writing about the Muslim Pilgrimage"
edited by Michael Wolfe

Twenty-three accounts of the Hajj, starting in 1050. Includes journeys by Sir Richard Burton (1853) and Malcolm X (1964),

• "On Glory Roads: A Pilgrim's Book about Pilgrimage"
by Eleanor Munro
• "Plagues"
by Christopher Wills

Mmm, cholera, Black Death, AIDS. Something to consider while wandering down the medieval road. History and definite relevance to the 21st century and our increasingly resistant bacteria. Don't take antibiotics for a cold!!!

• "The End of Days"
by Erna Paris

This book is not about the pilgrimage, but is concerned with the religious history of Spain, specifically how the most tolerant country in Europe suddenly shifted to extreme intolerance, expelling Jews and Moors and instituting the reign of terror known as the Spanish Inquisition.

• "The Tattooed Map"
by Barbara Hodgson

This book isn't about Santiago at all, but is about a pilgrimage in some way. A fictional journal of a trip through Morocco. All I can say is that through a combination of texts and graphics, a world is evoked very clearly. I think anyone who travels would find this book intriguing.

altar of St. James - the end of the road