A to Z of the St. James Way

The goldsmiths of Compostela have been making handmade souvenirs from this mysterious variety of coal for over eight centuries now. Known for its intense jet-black color, it is said to contain magical powers. Pilgrims from all eras have come home with souvenirs made out of azabache, including jewelry, shells, figurines of the apostle or figas (evil eye amulets).

The coveted Compostela owes its name to the Way's end goal. The document issued by the Cathedral of Santiago, certifies that you have officially completed the pilgrimage. As far as we know it originated in the 16th century, when it was used for pilgrims to be admitted to the Royal Hospital of Santiago, but similar letters were issued in the Middle Ages.

The St. James Way has played a pivotal role in the cultural construction of Europe. Since the Middle Ages, when people did not travel as much as they do now, art, language and customs traveled with people, flowing in different directions along pilgrimage routes. This role was officially recognized by the Council of Europe in 1987, when it declared the Way the first European cultural route.

Along the various Way routes, pilgrims will stumble upon many a gothic art gem. One such example is the front of Tui Cathedral in Galicia on the Portuguese route, considered the first sculptural ensemble of this style on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Latin term inventio is used to describe the supposed discovery of the tomb of the apostle St. James the Great in the north west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is alleged to have happened at the beginning of the ninth century, when a hermit named Paio found the tomb guided by mysterious lights. Bishop Theodomirus certified the discovery and so began the Jacobean story.

Also known as the Codex Calixtinus, it is the medieval codex of the pilgrimage. It is a set of five books of all the ritual texts, Jacobean traditions, miracles and medieval memories of the pilgrimage compiled in Compostela in the 12th century. It includes the first ever guide to the French Way and written polyphonic music.  

Mountains, rivers, hardwood forests, the ocean—those who are truly present have the privilege of basking in spectacular scenery abundant with natural gems. The O Careón mountains, traversed by the Original Way are home to a unique bush not found elsewhere throughout the world, the Santolina melidensis.

The understated entrance to the Cathedral of Santiago from the Plaza de A Quintana is very culturally significant as it is only open during a Holy Year and is a fundamental part of the Jacobean ritual.

Perhaps the most characteristic style of architecture of the Way, which spread along the route itself during the 11th and 12th centuries. The Cathedral of Santiago is probably the most representative example of this style and many others are modeled on it, such as the Lugo Cathedral.

Different medieval accounts have shaped the tradition of translatio, the transportation of the remains of the apostle St. James the Great after his death in Palestine around the year 44 AD. They agreed that he would arrive in Galicia by boat and would be buried at the site where, after the inventio in the 9th century, would be called Santiago de Compostela.

Found at the bottom of Galician estuaries, the scallop shell has been a symbol of the St. James Way since the Middle Ages. Medieval pilgrims carried it on their way home due to its triple significance as a souvenir, an amulet and a natural vessel. Its grooves which converge at a point are a perfect representation of the Way.

The leather pouch and staff (a long, straight cane like a walking stick) were the most typical pieces of equipment pilgrims would sport, both in the Middle Ages and in the centuries that followed. It appeared in the Codex Calixtinus, in the 12th century.