The Irish and British Caminos land in northern Galicia at A Coruña and pilgrims walk 75km south to Santiago the Camino Portugés comes north from Porto the Via de la Plata comes all the way from Sevilla but without a doubt the most popular of all by a good country mile is the Camino Francés which today starts from Saint Jean de Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenees mountain range and proceeds across the north of Spain making its way slowly but surely to Santiago. Just as many roads lead to Rome so there are many Caminos from which the pilgrims used to come. Most people couldn’t be bothered going all the way to the Middle East however - especially as it became increasingly dangerous in the later 12th and 13th centuries - and so the Camino provided the ideal outing for the aspiring pilgrim. The popularity of the Camino peaked in the 12th and 13th centuries at the same time as the Crusades were in full swing and a pilgrimage was the coolest thing you could do. There are castles and churches built by the Knights Templar scattered along the way, there are churches gilded in gold (thanks to pilgrim donations) everywhere along the path and a network of pilgrim hostels (called albergues in Spanish) and the remnants of many hospitals. since the discovery of these remains in the 9th century this place has exerted a magnetic draw from across Europe and more recently from across the world attracting pilgrims - some in search of healing, some in search of God and others, as was common in Medieval times, sentenced to walk the Camino in lieu of serving time in prison. The city Santiago de Compostela is named after Jesus’s apostle James the Greater (Santiago in Spanish) whose remains found their final resting place in the cathedral in this city.Īnd so. If you walk the Camino today you’ll see these shells on every backpack and every waymarker - it is the Camino mascot.Īs far as pilgrimage sites go Rome and Jerusalem are fairly self-explanatory the same can’t be said for this random city in the northwest of Spain but the clue to its pilgrimage status lies in the name. Those returning from Jerusalem carried palm leaves and were known as “Palmers”, those returning from Rome wore the crossed keys of St Peter and were called “Romers” and those on the Camino carried scallop shells picked up from the coast beyond Santiago and were known as “Jacquets” (Jacques being the French name for Saint James). Medieval pilgrims were fond of their insignia. It is one of the three great pilgrimages of Medieval Christianity along with the route to Rome and Jerusalem. The Camino de Santiago is a Christian pilgrimage that dates back to the 9th century.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |