Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century.
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What is the story behind Santiago de Compostela?
Santiago de Compostela: History and Legends.
What was found in Compostela?
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. In 813 ce a tomb discovered at nearby Padrón was said to have been supernaturally revealed to be that of the apostle St. James, martyred at Jerusalem about 44 ce. His bones had been taken to Spain, where, according to legend, he had formerly evangelized.
What was the main purpose of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela?
When the pilgrimage began in the Middle Ages, the aim was to arrive in the sacred city of Santiago de Compostela. There was no official starting point, but because it was safer for people to walk together, pilgrims created common roads and paths.
How did Santiago end up in Compostela?
According to Christianity, one of the original 12 apostles – Santiago, aka Saint James – helped spread the religion throughout the Iberian Peninsula. One theory states that when he died, his disciples put his body in a boat, which landed on the coast of Spain, just west of where Santiago de Compostela stands today.
What does Compostela mean in English?
(Spanish de kɔmpɔsˈtela) noun. a city in NW Spain: place of pilgrimage since the 9th century and the most visited (after Jerusalem and Rome) in the Middle Ages; cathedral built over the tomb of the apostle St James.
Who Built Santiago de Compostela?
Alfonso VI
Construction of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in 1075, during the reign of Alfonso VI. It was built under the direction of Bishop Diego Peláez, on the site of an old church dedicated to Saint Santiago, or St James as he is known in English.
Who is buried in Santiago de Compostela?
Saint James the Great
The cathedral is the reputed burial place of Saint James the Great, the apostle of Jesus Christ. It is also one of the only three remaining churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus, the other two being St.
Why is Santiago de Compostela important to Christianity?
It is believed that James’ disciples carried his body by sea to the Spanish coast, and that it was ultimately buried at Santiago de Compostela.Thus, during Europe’s Middle Ages, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela became one of the main Christian pilgrimages related to the worship of holy relics.
What is the best known symbol of Santiago de Compostela?
While the points of origin, landscapes and languages differ, these pilgrim routes share certain symbols of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela including the ubiquitous scallop shell, yellow arrows, and a pilgrim passport known as a credencial.
Why people walk the Camino de Santiago?
The Camino was historically a religious pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James and today many people (about 25%) still walk for a religious or spiritual reason.
What is the Santiago walk?
The Camino de Santiago (Latin: Peregrinatio Compostellana, “Pilgrimage of Compostela”; Galician: O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St. James, is a network of pilgrims’ ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
Why is it called Santiago de Compostela?
A city in NW Spain, capital in Galicia, named after St James the Great (Spanish Sant Iago), whose remains, according to Spanish tradition, were brought there after his death.
How old is the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela?
810c. 1211
How old is Santiago?
Santiago is 18 years old at the beginning of the story as he has already spent two years with his flock of sheep and decided to become a shepherd when…
How old is the Camino de Santiago?
1000 years
The Camino de Santiago has existed for over 1000 years, and it dates back to the 9th Century (the time of King Alfonso II of Asturias) when the remains of St James the Apostle were first discovered in Northern Spain.
How long does it take to walk the Camino de Santiago?
For a prepared and experienced hiker, this route takes about 30 days start to finish, covering nearly 500 miles. Keep in mind that the Camino Francés receives the most foot traffic, meaning there’s plenty of opportunity to meet other pilgrims, but also a fair share of crowds during much of the year.
Is Santiago a name?
Santiago, (also San Iago, San Tiago, Santyago, Sant-Yago, San Thiago) is a male Spanish name that derives from the Hebrew name Jacob (Ya’akov) via “Sant Iago”, “Sant Yago”, “Santo Iago”, or “Santo Yago”, first used to denote Saint James the Great, the brother of John the Apostle.
How much money do you need to walk the Camino de Santiago?
Most pilgrim budgets fall in the $30-60 (€25-50) per day range, meaning a 30-day walk would cost $900-1800 (€750-1500). If you don’t already have hiking gear, new gear could easily cost $300-600 (€250-500) if you need to get new footwear, backpack and sleeping bag.
What language is spoken in Santiago de Compostela?
Galician
The official languages of the city are Galician and Spanish. Galician is a language with great similarities with Portuguese, so speakers of this language will not have a lot of trouble understanding people.
When were St James remains discovered?
James is found in the Liber Sancti Jacobi in Codex Calixtinus, (1140) which is the first pilgrims’ guidebook. “Santiago” means Saint James in Spanish (van Harwaarden, 2003). In the ninth century, sources began to mention the discovery of St. James’s remains in Spain.
