If I Were Going...: Santiago de Compostela

Another cathedral

Santiago de Compostela is a major destination for tourists, especially Catholics. So, we had to visit.

If you sign up for Spain, you sign up for cathedrals

After touring the cathedral in Toledo, I was a little underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong. Parts were spectacular, but it didn't measure up to what I was expecting.

This was a spectacular part

Mainly, it seemed small.

I mentioned the pilgrims in previous posts, but didn't really explain.The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James) is a network of pilgrimages leading to the shrine of Saint James the Great in Santiago de Compostela, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried.

It has lots of branches; Artwork: Manfred Zentgraf, Volkach, Germany

Many Catholics follow the route as a path for spiritual growth. It is also popular with hiking and cycling enthusiasts and organized tour groups.

Worshippers

Created and established after the discovery of the relics of Saint James the Great at the beginning of the 9th century, the Way of St James became a major pilgrimage route of medieval Christianity from the 10th century onwards. After the capture of Granada in 1492 under the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, Pope Alexander VI officially declared the Camino de Santiago to be one of the "three great pilgrimages of Christendom," along with Jerusalem and Rome. In 1987, the Camino de Santiago, which encompasses several routes in Spain, France and Portugal, was declared the first Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

Since 2013, the Camino de Santiago has attracted more than 200,000 pilgrims each year, with an annual growth rate of more than 10 percent. Pilgrims come mainly on foot and often from nearby cities, requiring several days of walking to reach Santiago.

I guess everybody wants to go where everybody else goes

Pilgrims were everywhere in the church. None of them looked overawed, overcome or even excited. You would think, after such a trip, there would be something other than palpable boredom. Maybe they we underwhelmed, too. Or, maybe their feet hurt.

It was one of the most crowded places we visited, which affected my assessment

Santiago de Compostela was a Roman cemetery in the 4th century and was occupied by the Germanic Suebi peoples in the early 400s after the initial collapse of the Roman Empire. The area was later part of Galicia in the 6th century.

Looking at the photos, I am more impressed than I was in person

Possibly raided from 711-739 by the Arabs, the area was incorporated into the Kingdom of Asturias around 750.

You can see the pilgrims in the pews

At some point between 818 and 842, Bishop Theodemar of Iria claimed to have found some remains attributed to Saint James the Greater.

Cages seem to be a thing in these old churches

Although the Pope Leo XIII accepted the authenticity of the relics, the Vatican remains uncommitted as to whether the relics are those of Saint James the Greater.

Ornate decorations

The pilgrimage is believed to pre-date Christian times (possibly associated with Finisterre's status as the edge of the world), but it was modified to be Christian once the relics were discovered.

A service in progress

A new settlement and pilgrimage center called Compostella emerged as the cult of Saint James of Compostela grew.

A crypt

Raids by Vikings and Arabs led the Christians to fortify the entire town, building walls and defensive tower in the mid‑11th century.

Better fortification

Santiago soon became a Catholic shrine second only to Rome and Jerusalem. In the 12th century, Compostela began to attract a large and multinational population.

The ceiling

The town was captured and sacked by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, after which the relics were lost for nearly a century, hidden in the crypts of the cathedral.