The Road to Santiago - The Way of St James

There are many ways to walk the Camino de Santiago. Find out more on each walking route, and take the road to Santiago your way.

French Way	Portuguese Way	English Way
Northern Way	Le Puy Route	Finisterre Way
Original Way	Via de la Plata	Aragonese Way

FRENCH WAY

The French Way/Camino Frances is the most traditional of all the pilgrims’ ways to Santiago and the best known internationally. The route, which was established in the late 11th century, crosses the North of the Iberian Peninsula, through the Basque Country, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y Leon and Galicia regions of Spain.

Starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, at the foothills of the French Pyrenees, the French Way runs through Northern Spain, from East to West, all the way to Santiago de Compostela, in the Northwestern corner of the country.

NORTHERN WAY

The origins of the pilgrimage way to Santiago, which runs along the northern coasts of Galicia and Asturias date back to the period immediately following the discovery of the tomb of Saint James the Apostle around 820 AD. The routes from the old Kingdom of Asturias were the first to take the pilgrims to Santiago. The coastal route was as busy as other, older ways, long before the Spanish monarchs proclaimed the French Way (El camino Frances) to be the ideal route, and provided a link for the Christian kingdoms in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. This endorsement of the French Way did not, however, bring about the decline of the Asturian and Galician pilgrimage routes, indeed the stretch from Leon to Oviedo enjoyed even greater popularity from the late 11th century onwards.

The Northern Way was not only used by the Asturians living along the shoreline. This medieval route also gave pilgrims access to the sanctuaries of Oviedo and Santiago de Compostela. Although perhaps not as well-travelled as the French Way, the Northern Way was certainly bustling with activity until the 18th century. These pilgrims came by land from France or by sea from Northern Europe to the ports of the Basque Country and Cantabria, before setting out on their journey towards the sanctuary of San Salvador of Oviedo and the cathedral of Santiago.

Once they reached Castropol, the pilgrims either had to cross the "ria" (inlet) of Ribadeo by boat, or travel along the right bank of the estuary to the bridge of Santiago de Abres, where they would enter Galicia. Contemporary pilgrims have had their journey simplified by the construction of a bridge linking Asturias and Ribadeo.

From the entry point in Galicia, the pilgrimage route is well-documented; it started out from the town of Ribadeo, which also had a port used by pilgrims, before continuing inland through the valleys of Vilanova de Lourenza and Mondoriedo, and thereafter crossing the high flatlands of Vilalba and Guitiriz. At the Monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes, just before the route joined with the French Way in Arzua, the pilgrims received the hospitality of the monks. Just a few days' travelling would finally bring them to Santiago and the tomb of the Apostle.

Among the thousands of pilgrims who travelled to Santiago via the Northern Way, one figure who stands out is Saint Francis of Assisi. Reports suggest that he made the pilgrimage to San Salvador in Oviedo and Santiago de Compostela in 1214. In the late 15th century, the Armenian Bishop Martyr of Azerbaijan made a pilgrimage to Rome and Santiago using the Northern Way, which passed through the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. There are two chronicles dating from the 16th century recorded by pilgrims who travelled a similar route – Antonio Lalaing, Lord of Montigny (1502), and the Italian pilgrim, Bartolommeo Fontana (1539).

During the Baroque period, the Northern Way was used by many pilgrims who opted to chronicle their experiences and itineraries. Jakub Sobieski (1611), the father of King John III Sobieski of Poland, made the pilgrimage via the Camino Frances to Leon. He took a detour to Oviedo and proceeded along the coastal route to Ribadeo before continuing onto Santiago along the Northern Way. Another Italian pilgrim, Sebastian Gatti reached Ribadeo by sea in 1698 and continued his journey on foot arriving in Santiago via the same route. In 1726 the French pilgrim, Guillermo Manier and his fellow pilgrims chose the Northern Way to make the journey back to France. In 1790 the Frenchman, Jean Pierre Racq wrote a detailed account of his pilgrimage to San Salvador in Oviedo and to Santiago de Compostela via the Northern Way.

The Galician stretch of this Way covers 170 kilometres between Ribadeo and Santiago and is clearly signposted with stones decorated with a ceramic scallop shell and a vital piece of information for pilgrims – their exact location on the Way. In addition to the famous yellow arrow of the Associations of the Friends of the Way, these milestones make it easy for the pilgrims to find their direction, as they appear in strategic locations such as at crossroads and turn-offs.

ORIGINAL WAY

This pilgrimage way to Compostela was used by the first devout pilgrims from the newly-formed kingdom of Asturias. It was therefore the very first of the pilgrimage routes, as its current name indicates.

The Original Way (El Camino Primitivo) might very well have been the route taken by King Alphonse II, the Chaste, from Oviedo, the capital of the kingdom of Asturias to the tomb of Saint James, during the 9th century. This monarch, who played a decisive role in confirming that the remains unearthed in Compostela belonged to Saint James the Apostle, sponsored the founding of the first basilica in Compostela and collaborated in organising the early cult of Saint James. He was also a patron of the first monastic community devoted to services of worship at the altar of Saint James.

The city of Oviedo marked the main starting point of the Original Way. However, the route was also followed by pilgrims who began their journeys in other parts of Northern Spain and Europe.

It was probably the safest and most-travelled route until the present-day French Way from Leon, the new capital of the kingdom, established its position as the major route in the late 10th century. Nonetheless, the Oviedo route to Santiago remained a popular alternative, due particularly to the spiritual value of relics at the cathedral of San Salvador de Oviedo and at the basilica of Lugo.

The many hospitals set up along the way bear witness to the importance of this route, especially those in remote spots high in the mountains. Hospitalers served an essential purpose, that of attending to the pilgrim, who, in the region of A Fonsagrada, was forced to traverse areas of breathtaking beauty in less than perfect circumstances. Snowstorms, strong winds and treacherous paths posed an ardous task for the pilgrims of antiquity.

PORTUGUESE WAY

From the mid 12th century, the veneration of Saint James and the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – considered one of the bastions of European culture – had far-reaching effects in Lusitanian lands. For centuries, the Portuguese people participated enthusiastically in this collective experience – supported by monarchs, members of the nobility and the high clergy. Indeed, from the 12th century up until the present day, much of Portugal's road network has seen the comings and goings of pilgrims heading from towns and cities all over the country – Lisbon, Santarem, Coimbra, Porto, Braga, Chaves – to their goal of Santiago de Compostela. Their motives were strictly religious, yet thanks to this steady flow of movement between Portugal and Galicia, cultural, economic and intellectual exchange also flourished.

A number of infrastructural entities gave rise to the popularity of the Portuguese Way in Galicia. Bridges, country chapels, sanctuaries, wayside crosses, manor houses and historic cities dot the route that starts on the banks of the Minho river, in the city of Tui, and ends at the tomb of Saint James. Although the pilgrimages did not necessarliy lead to the design and creation of a set of monuments corresponding to a specific period (Romanesque or Baroque) in an integrated artistic space, the Portuguese Way in Galicia asserts a deep cultural heritage.

The Portuguese Way gently winds northwards, along ancient tracks and paths that traverse woodlands, farmlands, villages, towns and historic cities. Some paths are routed over stunning medieval bridges, many of which maintain some trace elements of Roman design. The route is enriched by the presence of chapels, churches, convents, petos de animas (stone altars usually found at crossroads) and cruceiros (wayside crosses), where the comforting image of Santiago the Pilgrim is ever-present, to accompany and hearten the pilgrim on his journey.

The hospitality offered to pilgrims by those stationed along the route is proverbial; the practice was started in the Middle Ages by the monks and clergymen serving the hospitals founded by the monarchs and nobility. This tradition is kept alive today by the inhabitants of the towns scattered along the Way and by the inkeepers at pilgrims' hostels. Many of the paths along this Way were built upon the major Roman roads that formed the backbone of Roman Gallaecia – such as Via XIX, which was used for trade and travel for many centuries. Via XIX was built in the 1st century AD under the Emperor Augustus. Reference to this road in classical texts is proof of the vitality of this route from antiquity. Since the Middle Ages the Portuguese Way has maintained a tradition of exchange between neighbours that began during the days of the Roman Empire.

Despite its rich historical background, the Portuguese Way has not escaped the processes of modernisation. At times, the pilgrims must leave the dirt paths and stone-paved ways to walk along the verge of the N-550 road between Vigo and A Coruña. The road follows the Portuguese Way to Santiago, something of a drawback for those seeking to recapture the essence of the original pilgrims' way. But these discomforts are fleeting, and are fully compensated for when the pilgrim finishes his journey on this route of devotion, art, culture and heritage

LE PUY ROUTE

The old Via Podensis, this is one of the four main pilgrim routes through France, used by French pilgrims but also by others coming through Switzerland and from points further back in Germany, Austria, Poland and the Czech and Slovak republics. It joins the routes from Paris and Vézelay on the French side of the Pyrenees.

VIA DE LA PLATA

This is the longest of all the Caminos. It travels through the provinces of Ourense, Pontevedra, and A Coruña, crossing nature reserves of great cultural and ecological heritage. Due to its length, this itinerary offers many alternative routes and a number of notable entry points into Galicia from Northeast Portugal. The Southeast Way is actually an extension of the Roman road known as the Via de la Plata, which connected Emerita Augusta (Merida) with Asturica Augusta (Astorga), and crosses the western part of the Iberian Peninsula from south to north, travelling over the basins of the Tajo and Duero Rivers. The Way was laid out in early Christian times with older roads providing a convenient template.

During the early Middle Ages, the route was still in use; first with the Visigoths and later under Islamic rule. The term "Via de la Plata" (the Silver Way) is derived from the Arabic Bal'latta, which the Moslems used to describe this wide, stoned-paved public way, leading north to the land of the Christians. It was used, in part, by the infantry of Cordoba during the military expedition conducted by Almanzor against Santiago in August 997. The term Via de la Plata is somewhat of a misnomer then, as it has nothing to do with the mining – or trade – of silver.

In the late Middle Ages, the route was once again Christianised by the Andalusian Mozarabs, who found making the pilgrimage to Santiago less perilous following the conquest of Seville and Cordoba by Ferdinand III. With the return of the cathedral bells to Santiago, the route between Cordoba and Santiago entered a new era; from 1250 the Way was used by pilgrims from Andalusia and Extremadura. Some would continue on to Astorga, linking up with the French Way, while others would take the cut-off leading to Puebla de Sanabria – A Gudina-Laza/Verin-Ourense-Santiago, which made the route shorter and more direct. The way that passes through Laza is 214km in length, whereas the route through Verin is 233 km. A third possibility takes pilgrims through Northeast Portugal, towards Braganca or Chaves, entering Galicia in the southern part of the province in the direction of Verin, continuing along towards Laza or Xinzo de Limia. These itineraries all converge in the city of Ourense. From there, the route continues as far as San Cristovo de Cea. Many pilgrims sought the hospitality offered by the monastery at Oseira. Others preferred to hurry on to Dozon. From this location, they would set out for Lalin, Silleda, Ponte Ulla and Santiago.

There were pilgrim hospitals in Verin, Monterrei, Xunqueira de Ambia, Allariz and Ourense. The Hospital of Saint Lazarus was founded in Verin. Monterrei was the site of a pilgrim hospital – the entrance of which still stands bearing an inscription with the date of its foundation (1429), although it is known that accommodation was offered to pilgrims in the county refuge as early as 1320. The hospital in Xunqueira de Ambia, built in the vicinity of the collegiate church by Alonso de Pina, is recorded in Ourense archives as dating from 1520-1540. This centre could accommodate more than one hundred pilgrims from Spain and elsewhere. The pilgrim hospital of Allariz was founded between the 13th and 14th centuries. The building is still standing, and the symbols of Santiago and Saint James can still be seen carved on the facade. In the city of Ourense there was the hospital of San Roque, located on the site of the modern day promenade, the Alameda do Concello, that attended to the sick, the poor as well as the pilgrims. The elegant Renaissance portal still stands in the Praza da Trinidade – the frontispiece bearing an image of Saint James the Pilgrim.

Another institution worthy of mention is the Monastery of Oseira. In the cloisters and hospital of this monastery, which date back to the 12th century, the Cistercian monks would care for the pilgrims.

As for the military orders in charge of safeguarding the Way, one of the most important is the Order of Saint James, on the Laza-Xunqueira-Ourense route. The Santiago commandery of Barra protected the stretch going from Codesedo, at the foot of Monte Talariho. Here, there is a roadside shrine to Vilar de Gumareites. The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (later the Order of Malta) set up a priory in 1170 and was responsible for protecting the Vilanova Bridge and the Way at the far end of this royal town. The late 12th-century Romanesque church is still standing; this, along with the medieval bridge, constitutes a site of great historical significance. The Knights Templar were based in Santa Marina de Aguas Santas and shortly before they were repressed, they had begun to construct a church on the site of the "Forno da Santa".

In the province of Pontevedra stands the chapel of the Holy Spirit, as well as a small hospital in A Estrada. In 1589, a native of A Estrada, Juan Gonzalez de Figueroa, bequeathed his house to be used as a hospice for pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela.

ENGLISH WAY

The Jacobean pilgrimage enjoyed widespread popularity throughout medieval Europe. Land and sea alike were furrowed with routes full of spirituality leading to Santiago de Compostela. Seafaring pilgrims from Scandinavia, Flanders, England, Scotland and Ireland made their way to destinations such as Ribadeo, Viveiro, Ferrol and A Coruna. As a result of their propitious location, the latter two coastal enclaves are the starting points of the two alternate itineraries that make up the English Way. The A Coruna-Santiago route covers a distance of 74 km, while the stretch linking Ferrol-Santiago is 118 km long.

The pilgrimages from Scandinavia and the British Isles began in the 12th century. One of the most noteworthy episodes occurred in 1147 with the arrival of a squadron of crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. This squadron took part in the conquest of Lisbon, aiding the first king of Portugal in his struggle against the Muslims. Before facing the belligerent opposition, crusaders from England, Germany and Flanders would visit the tomb of St. James.

The first maritime account recorded between 1154 and 1159 by the Icelandic monk, Nicholas Bergson, describes the voyage from Iceland to Bergen (Norway), Aalborg (Jutland), and Vyborg, sailing down the Kiel Canal that marks the border between Denmark and Germany. This monk continued on foot to Rome, on his way to the Holy Land. Icelandic and Scandinavian pilgrims travelling to Santiago took this maritime route to Denmark, continuing their journey on foot to Roncesvalles, or by boat to the north of the Iberian Peninsula.

During the Hundred Years War that raged between France and England during the 14th and 15th centuries, the British used boats to travel to Santiago. The vessels that were chartered for this purpose would set sail – with permission from the Crown – from London, Bristol, Southampton, and Plymouth, ultimately returning to England loaded with goods from Galicia. The presence of these pilgrims in Santiago is well-documented by the ceramic pieces and coins dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, found during excavations in the cathedral.

Other traces of seafaring pilgrimages can be found in the offerings made to St. James. The most outstanding is the famous portable alabaster altarpiece depicting the life of the Apostle, which was donated to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in 1456 by Father John Goodyear – a parish priest of the church of Chale on the Isle of Wight (diocese of Winchester). This work of art, part of the collection of the Cathedral Museum, portrays five scenes in the life of the Apostle: his vocation, his preaching in Hispania, his martyrdom in Palestine and the transportation of his remains by boat to Galicia. Another splendid offering related to the pilgrimages undertaken from the British Isles is the "pearl cross". This relic, crafted in gold and silver, displaying enamel work and studded with pearls and gems, was created in Paris between 1375 and 1400 and donated by King Jacob IV of Scotland (1475-1513). The divorce of Henry VIII (1509-47) from Catherine of Aragon caused him to break ties with the Catholic church, thus bringing an end to the pilgrimages from England.

Whether they were noblemen, princes, clergymen or laymen, the pilgrims found refuge in the hospitals along the English Way. From Ferrol to A Coruna, the route was less arduous thanks to the services provided by the religious order of the Sancti Spiritus. Starting in the 14th century, the Franciscan Order opened the doors of their dwellings in Pontedeume and Betanzos, under the auspices of the nobleman, Fernan Perez de Andrade, "O Bo".

Along this stretch, which headed out from Ferrol, there were pilgrim hospitals run by the hospitalers of the Sancti Spiritus located in Ferrol, Neda, Mino, Paderne and Betanzos. Another pilgrim hospital dedicated to San Lorenzo was founded in Bruma, in 1140, becoming part of the Hospital of Santiago in 1175. In the A Coruna stretch, the city offered pilgrims accommodation run by the religious orders of Los Angeles, Santa Catalina and San Andres, and, as they proceeded along the Way, there were facilities in Sigras and Poulo. Some of these establishments had chapels and cemeteries, whose archives contain records of the deaths of pilgrims of English, Nordic, German, French and Italian origin. These records highlight the importance of the Jacobean pilgrimages along this route.

FINISTERRE WAY

The Jacobean pilgrimage as such comes to an end in the city of Santiago de Compostela. However, dating back almost to the discovery of the tomb of Saint James the Apostle (9th century) at a site where the cosmopolitan city now stands, many of the pilgrims, from both the Iberian Peninsula and elsewhere, decided to extend their journey to the Costa da Morte ("Coast of Death"), located in the westernmost part of Galicia, looking out onto the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The reasons that have inspired this tradition are many – all different, but somehow linked – and they have given rise to the route known as the Fisterra — Muxia Way.

For the people of ancient times – and indeed up until the late Middle Ages – the Costa da Morte was the last redoubt of explored land in the westernmost part of continental Europe; the final stretch of an itinerary traced in the sky by the Milky Way; a mythical and symbolic place whose most extreme point was dominated by the impressive mass of Cabo Fisterra ("Cape Finisterre"). It was a place rich in pagan rites and rituals, an awe-inspiring site for the Romans (2nd century BC) who marvelled when they saw the mighty sun vanish into the sea.

Nonetheless, the Christianisation of the pagan traditions of Fisterra was a process that had taken root by the middle of the first millennium. From the 12th century onwards, the Calixtine Codex associated these lands with the pilgrimage tradition. This renowned codex tells the story of how the disciples of Saint James journeyed to the obsolete city of Dugium in present-day Fisterra, seeking authorisation from a Roman legion to bury the apostle at a site where Compostela stands today. The Romans, suspicious of their motives, threw them into prison. However, the disciples eventually managed to escape. With the Roman troops in pursuit, the disciples crossed over a bridge which then collapsed under the weight of the soldiers.

Yet the interconnectedness of Galicia's Land's End with Santiago is rooted, above all, in the many spiritual histories of the area. Not only did it offer the ancient pilgrims a view of the end of the known world, but it was also the birthplace of two of the most popular cults in Galicia. The first is the Holy Christ in Fisterra, which was described by 16th-century scholar Moline in the following way; "at this spot gather the most devout of the pilgrims who come to worship the Apostle". After they had visited Santiago, the pilgrims were drawn by the possibility of being able to prostrate themselves before the son of God in this remote place. The second cult is that of the Virgin of A Barca, in the nearby coastal town of Muxia. According to a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary came to this beautiful spot in a "stone boat" to encourage Saint James in his preaching. It is this event that links Muxia with Zaragoza and the Virgin del Pilar.

The Fisterra — Muxia Way is frequently referred to in odeporic literature, surpassed only by the French Way. The oldest story is that of George Grissaphan, a Magyar knight from the 14th century. The story recounts his adventures as a pilgrim and hermit in Fisterra. In the late 15th century, the Polish pilgrim, Nicholas von Popplau, journeyed to Muxia after having visited Compostela. He described the remains of the "wrecked ship, made of genuine stone" belonging to the Virgin Mary. On his pilgrimage from Italy, the Venetian traveller, Bartolommeo Fontana (16th century), visited Fisterra, and reported that those who were free of mortal sin could move the stones of the ship of Muxia with just one finger. Domenico Laffi (17th century), a clergyman and scholar from Bologna, also journeyed to Fisterra. He wrote of the lighthouse guiding the sailors to safety through turbulent waters in the area.

The preceding paragraphs recount the interesting features of this pilgrimage route, which is unique in that, unlike all the others, its starting point is in the city of Santiago. Consequently, the final destinations are Cape Fisterra and the Sanctuary of A Barca, some 89 and 87 kilometers from Santiago.

ARAGONESE WAY

The Aragonese Way (Spanish: Camino Aragones) is a route of the Way of St. James beginning at the French-Spanish border at the pass of Somport and joining the French Way (or Camino Francés) at Puente la Reina in Navarre. The Arles Way from France connects to it at Somport.

The route encompasses approximately 170 km (100 miles) and travels through a variety of landscapes, from mountain ranges to river valleys. For the most part the route follows the River Aragon.