History of the Camino de Santiago

The discovery of the tomb

It all began in the year 813, when the hermit Pelayo saw mysterious lights over a field near Iria Flavia in Galicia. Bishop Teodomiro investigated and found a tomb that he identified as belonging to the Apostle James the Great, beheaded in Jerusalem in 44 AD and whose remains, according to tradition, were carried by stone boat to the Galician coast. King Alfonso II of Asturias ordered the first church built on the site, which they called Campus Stellae (field of stars): Compostela.

The news spread rapidly across European Christendom. At a time when the Iberian Peninsula was in the midst of the Reconquista against the Muslims, the discovery of the Apostle became a symbol of Christian identity and a powerful spiritual and political force.

The medieval Golden Age

Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Camino reached its peak. Millions of pilgrims crossed Europe on foot following routes from Paris, Vézelay, Le Puy and Arles that converged at the Pyrenees. Along the Way, hospitals, monasteries, bridges and churches sprang up to serve the walkers. The Codex Calixtinus (12th century), considered the first tourist guide in history, described the stages, towns and even the character of the inhabitants of each region.

Construction of the current Cathedral of Santiago began in 1075 under Bishop Diego Peláez and was consecrated in 1211. Its Pórtico de la Gloria, masterpiece of Master Mateo, is one of the jewels of European Romanesque art.

Decline and rebirth

Wars, the Protestant Reformation and epidemics caused the Camino to decline from the 16th century onwards. For centuries, the route fell into relative oblivion. The rebirth came in the second half of the 20th century: in 1987, the Council of Europe declared the Camino the first European Cultural Route, and in 1993 UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site. Today more than 400,000 pilgrims walk it each year, making the Camino a global phenomenon that transcends religion.