Santiago de Compostela

The Galician capital is known worldwide for being one of the most important spiritual pilgrimage centres for Christianity since the Middle Ages. In 1985, UNESCO declared Santiago de Compostela World Heritage Site for its great cultural and architectural richness.

Nowadays, with a population of 93.458 inhabitants (2007), Santiago has turned into a dynamic and young city. Very influenced by university life, Santiago offers a wide range of activities, art galleries, concerts, film festivals and above all the peace of its medieval streets that contrasts with the lively nightlife of the city.

St James' Way

Despite being essentially religious in its origins, today, thanks to its cultural and landscape elements, it has turned into a route that brings together different peoples and cultures. This led to the Council of Europe declaring it the first European Cultural Itinerary and thus turned this ancient route in a way for art and spirituality.

There are several routes to go on a pilgrimage to Santiago, but the Way is not a goal in itself but the means to get to the goal: St James' grave.

Official routes

• The French Way, the most visited route nowadays, it enters the Iberian Peninsula through Roncesvalles and gets into Galicia through O Cebreiro.
• The Northern Way, it goes along the Cantabric coast and enters Galicia through Ribadeo.
• The Primitive Way departs from Oviedo and leads the pilgrim to Santiago.
• The English Way owes its name to the influx of British pilgrims that travelled by sea, disembarked in A Coruña or Ferrol and continued from there by foot.
• The Portuguese Way goes through Portugal until it reaches Galicia via Tui.
• The Southeast Way - Silver Route, arrives from Sevilla, Mérida, Zamora and enters Galicia through the province of Ourense.

The Holy Year and the Jubilee indulgences new

Each century there are 14 Holy Years that fall every 6, 5, 6, and 11 years. The Jubilee is a period in which the Church traditionally awards the congregation special spiritual graces. It started in 1122 with Pope Callixtus II and it was confirmed by other popes; Alexander III through the Papal Bull “Regis eterni” of 1179 granted its continuity.

To get the Jubilee the pilgrim must honour the three traditions:

• Visit the grave of the Apostle in the Cathedral and pray.
• Receiving the sacrament of confession (either in the Cathedral or anywhere else, 15 days earlier or afterwards).
• To make the communion. This indulgence is applicable to the deceased.

• Visit the Cathedral while praying.
• Receiving the sacraments of confession (15 days before or after) and the sacred communion.

Tips for the Way

Before starting the pilgrim Way it is advisable to undergo a simple medical check-up to make sure there won't be unforeseen physical factors; it would also be good to do some training, walking during several days and walking longer distances each day.

Clothing and footwear for the hike:

• The clothing should be loose-fitting and breathable to avoid the frequent friction that produces contact dermatitis, especially in the inner side of the thighs.
• Furthermore, the clothing should be adapted to the weather conditions of the season in which the pilgrimage will take place.
• It is important not to forget a hat to avoid sunstroke.
• Footwear is essential. Since paths are quite irregular, it should be a boot that holds the ankle well to avoid sprains that could cause to cancel the hike. Apart from being high, the boot should be waterproof and breathable to avoid the problems derived from foot sweating such as blisters and mycosis.
• The basic footwear complement are the socks, woollen or similar, and should be changed regularly.

Other tips:

• Carry a first aid kit.
• When travelling by night, wear reflectors.
• On the road, always walk on the left side verge.
• Avoid creating groups or crowd together on the road.
• Always follow the advice of the Civil Guard, the Police, Civil Defence and the Red Cross.
• Keep the accommodation and camping sites clean and try to be respectful and nice to the local population.
• Appreciate and value the effort done by the people that serve in the hostels.
• Read something about the history of the Way to better understand its meaning.
• Plan your stages being realistic, don't set goals that won't allow you to enjoy the trip, and count in some resting days.
• If you plan to use the hostels you will need a sleeping bag. It is also advisable to have a mat or a foam to avoid sleeping or resting directly over a wet floor.
• Remember that you're only allowed to spend a night in each hostel except in case of illness.
• The weight of the backpack should not exceed 10 percent of the body weight.
• Remember that hostels cannot be booked in advance, except for private hostels.

The Holy Door new

It is placed behind the Main Altar, between the Chapels of Salvador and the Virxe da Azucena (previously devoted to San Pedro). The Door is opened every Holy Year (whenever July 25 falls on a Sunday) and the pilgrims access the Cathedral through it (via Praza da Quintana).

The Hug to the Apostle new

The Apostle's figura is placed on top of the Main Altar of the Cathedral. There is a predetermined tour to hug it. After the hug the route goes straight down to the sepulchre of the Apostle.

The Compostela

The Compostela is the official certification granted by Santiago's cathedral to those people that do the pilgrimage for religious reasons, no matter if its a Holy Year or not. The requirements are the following:

• Travel a stretch of the Way of St. James proving that at least the last 100 km have been done by foot or by horse, or 200 km by bike, through credentials, stamps or signatures of parishes, hostels, refuges or representatives of the villages along the Way.
• If this credential can't be obtained, it can be replaced by a travel diary with the signatures and stamps of each stage of the Way.

Links of interest