Santiago de Compostela is the spanishchieftown of the autonomously community of Galizia, located In the province of La Coruña.

In 813 hermit Pelagio warned by an angel, saw some strange lights like stars on the mount Libredòn.

The Origin

Bishop Teodomiro found there a tomb, probably of the ancient roman age, that contained three bodies. The inscription said:“Here lies Jacobus”.

People think that the word Compostela drifts from Campus Stellae (field of star) or drifts from Compos Tellum (land of burial).

Alfonso II, king of Asturie and Galicia, was ordered to build a church there. So the first pilgrimages to the apostle’s tomb began.

Emblems of Santiago De Compostela

The Shell

The shell in past testified the happened pilgrimages, as it was found in abundance in beaches of the Galizia.

The Saddlebag

That is a small bag, symbol of the alms.

The Dress

Was the symbol of the humanity of the Christ and its protection.

The Sword

The sword is the symbol of the Catholic Reconquista of the Spain, occupied

from the Moors.

Flecha Amarilla/The Yellow Arrow

It also called Flecha Maria, the arrow of Maria. This arrow will guide you

together for all the way to the shells that you will find recorded and designed

anywhere.

The BatonSymbolized the faith in the

Trinitarian and represented the conflict of the Trinitarian with the

evil forces.

Trekking the Camino of Santiago de Compostela

Go beyond the wides green of the Galizia

area

The most important routes towards Santiago were and are still nowadays : the Francigena route from Italy and the Tolosana route as far as the Pirenei.

The routes Toward Santiago

From the South of France people could go along:the Tolosana way, the southest, from Arles across Tolosa;

the Podense route, from Lione and Le Puv-en-Velav; the Lemovicense route, from Vézelav; the Turonense route, from Tours and Roncisvalle.

Rabanal del Camino, Villafranca del Bierzo, Triacastela, Palas de Rei and finally Santiago.

The necessary stages to arrive to St.James’ tomb are:Estella, Nàiera, Burgos, Fròmista, Sahagùn, Leòn,

The pilgrims arrived here from every part of Europe: they followed the direction of the Milky Way. The flux in some ages became stately. In the XVII century a progressive decline began.

The Pilgrimage

A renewal began in the ’80s. A decisive contribute wasgiven by the visit of Pope Giovanni Paolo II to Santiago in 1989: then the flux of the pilgrims increased remarkably.

In october 1987 the European Council declared the ways to Santiago “european cultural itinerary”. In 1993 UNESCO declared them “Human patrimony”.

On 25 July falls the St. James’ feast. When this day falls on Sunday the relative year is declared Compostellano Saint Year. The last one was on 2004. The next one will be on 2011.

James was one of the 12 apostles. After Jesus’ resurrection he travelled into the Iberian peninsula to spread evangelization. When he came back to Palestina he was beheaded by king Agrippa, who was scared of the apostle’s possible future excessive power. His disciples picked up his body and carried it secretly by boat to Galicia, where they buried it. In the following centuries people lost the traces of the sepulchre.

James the Apostle

The Centre of Santiago De Compostela

Santiago by night

Have a nice Permanence!!

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