The Route to Santiago, a pilgrim experience

History

The Apostle James (Santiago) the Greater, as he was called by christian tradition, was one of the sons of Zebedeo and Salome; his brother was John the evangelist, also Apostle. He was invited by Jesus "beside his brother and immediately after Peter and Andrew- to become fisherman of men". He was one of the apostles that had a close and intimate relationship with the son of God.
The history of the Route to Santiago dates back to the beginning of the 9C, when the sepulcre of Santiago el Mayor (James the Greater), evangelist in Spain, was discovered.

The Pilgrims

Along the routes to Santiago have walked people of all stamps and conditions: honest pilgrims, convicts, minstrels, beggars, adventurers, tramps, fugitives from justice, bandids...

The religious people made the pilgrimage urged by their unrestrained need to visit the tomb of the Apostle and to begin a personal relationship with him. Other pilgrims made the journey in order to fulfill a promise made to the Apostle after they overcame a difficult situation.

Among these were those who had been seriously ill, and others that came in search of a miraculous recovery. There were also convicts who made the pilgrimage as a punishment, imposed either by the ecclesiastical authorities or civil judges.

The Romanesque Art along the Route to Santiago

The development of the Romanesque art, the first international style in the Middle Ages, took place after the consolidation of the Route, in the 11th and 12th Centuries. The cultural interchanges derived from the pilgrimage caused the extension of this artistic movement, with its local variants, all over Europe. The Route to Santiago brought about many changes in the Medieval society that also contributed to the extension of the Romanesque: the strengthening of European kingdoms, the increase of the population, and the extension of trade.

The Routes to Santiago de Compostela

Most pilgrims who arrived at Santiago followed the "French route", but there are other six historic routes. The French route is the most travelled by and promoted. It enters Spain through Roncesvalles and Sompot, in the Pyrenees and crosses the autonomous communities of Aragón, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla, León and Galicia. The second more widely known itinerary is the "Northern Route". From Irún, it crosses Euskadi, Cantabria and Asturias before entering Galicia through Ribadeo, on the coast, and through Fonsagrada, in the interior.

The arrival, La catedral de Santiago

After days of walking, and hundred miles, finally the arrival to Santiago. Once you arrive to the cathedral. your Santiago route is done. the most importance experience of this adventure is the way walked, the friends you made, and the inner peace you get after the route.