Signs on the Camino

The Camino is closely aligned to the most ancient mythologies. In Book IV of the 12th-century Codex Calixtinus, the chronicler states that Charlemagne, "Saw a path of stars in the sky that began at the Wadden Sea … stretching as far as Galicia, where the body of Saint James was hidden."

A bridge is a great work that combines all the virtues of the Camino: it provides security and certainty to the traveler and reorders the traffic in the area. Its builders and the surrounding town or village receive thanks and praise for centuries on end.

The pilgrim hospitals are another great symbol of Saint James as well as being historic witnesses that mark out the Camino day and night. This is the old pilgrim hospital of Santiago de Compostela, right beside the Cathedral of Santiago.

Having a church that has been dedicated to Saint James for a thousand years is a distinguishing feature for the community. The current temple, in Madrid, replaced the Romanesque building in 1813, which replaced a Visigoth temple around 1085. It overlooks the plaza and street of Santiago. The neighborhood is also named after Saint James.

Founded in 1170, the Order of Santiago took on the role of protecting the Camino from Muslim forces. Their headquarters were constructed in 1174 in Uclés. As the border moved further south, they ran their vast territory and promoted the worship of Saint James and the production of art in his honor.

Saint James' cross is exclusive to the Order of Santiago and can be found in the monasteries, churches, forts, houses, granaries, etc. that historically belonged to the Order. Nowadays, it is also used, incorrectly, to characterize events relating to Saint James.

The scallop shell is the convex upper shell of a bivalve mollusk that is very abundant in the Galician coast. In addition to its utilitarian function and its use in miracle working (Codex Calixtinus), medieval pilgrims would carry it home as proof that they had reached Santiago de Compostela.

When the Council of Europe declared the Camino the First Cultural Route of Europe in 1987, this came with a series of measures, such as the official symbol that must be used to represent it: a stylized, yellow scallop shell on a blue background.

The associations of Saint James usually have a team of volunteer arrow painters who are always ready to travel throughout their province to go over the signposts on the Way. They also assess any damage caused by the weather and the passage of time.

It is undeniable that sunflowers have been an important source of artistic inspiration since Van Gogh painted them in 1887. This is an environmentally friendly example, created by a pilgrim before starting the formidable medieval Montes de Oca section.

There is no greater problem in a small town than needing to diversify information, repeat it, and even magnify it all in one place.

Seen from outside, the arrow and inscription make up a very humble graphic composition, created fluidly and quickly, but a pilgrim would realize that it has been carefully calculated and that the artist has managed to illustrate their story in half a meter.

In modern times, groups of sculptures have been created along the Camino, such as this one, built in 1996 in Alto de Perdon out of weathering steel. They represent a unique form of artistic signposting of the pilgrimage route.

The pair of pilgrims at Lomo de Plata silently contemplates a collection of eight or nine Roman milestones and parts of several others. They used to mark out the Roman road along the Vía de Plata (the Silver Way), but over the centuries they have been dragged here by the passage of time.

Although there are no visible signals or signs of any type, pilgrims can be identified from a mile off and they know who their predecessors are and where to direct their steps.