Pilgrimage history

The discovery of the tomb of the apostle Saint James, son of Zebedee, around 830, spread rapidly throughout the West. As early as the 10th century, foreign pilgrims were recorded in Compostela.

The history of the pilgrimage thus accompanies the history of Europe, its religious, artistic, literary, social and even political history. That’s why, in 1987, the Council of Europe declared the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago a “Great Cultural Itinerary” of Europe.

But what is this story?

Who is Saint-Jacques?
Why is he buried in Galicia, not far from finis terrae, the end of the earth?
Who is Marie Salomé?
Did Charlemagne go to liberate the tomb of Saint James?
Why are there oxen in some of the pictures?
What is the Codex Calixtinus?
Who wrote the “Pilgrim’s Guide to Santiago de Compostela”?
When did Saint-Jacques’ jubilee years begin?
What traces of the pilgrimage are still visible, and where?
Did the pilgrims of yesteryear follow the routes we know today?
Where does the shell symbol come from?

Did Saint Francis of Assisi go to Compostela?
Did the pilgrimage decline from the 16th century onwards?
How did the relics come to be rediscovered in the late 19th century?
Who was Priscillien?
Should we go all the way to Finisterre and Muxía?
What does the “matamore” scallop represent?
Do we worship Saint James in America?
How did the hospitals set up for pilgrims function?
Did the battle of Clavijo take place?
Why is Santiago depicted in front of the Virgin of the Pillar of Saragossa?
When was Compostela Cathedral built?
What does the Portal of Glory mean?
Where do the Confréries de Saint-Jacques come from?

Many are the questions that beset pilgrims along the way.

For the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a cultural itinerary, a journey through time, a meeting with those who have gone before us and left the testimony of their passage.

Knowing the art and history of pilgrimage enriches the journey, gives it meaning and enables us to go beyond the tourist trip.

All the answers are in our ” Pilgrim’s Dossier “, which is given to every new member.