The History of the St. James Way Told Through 12 Key Dates
Uncover the most significant moments in the history of the Jacobean Route.
Saint James with his pilgrim's staff (1476-1525) by Spanish-Flemish SchoolOriginal Source: Museum of Pilgrimage and Santiago
Some 1,200 years of history at our feet
The discovery of the tomb of St. James the Apostle was one of the most significant events of the European Middle Ages. Today, 12 centuries later, the St. James Way is the original European Cultural and World Heritage route. Let's find out more about it through 12 key dates.
Theodemar's Tombstone (847)The Catedral de Santiago Foundation
820-830: Discovery of the tomb of St. James the Great
The discovery of the tomb of James the Great in an isolated area in the diocese of Iria Flavia immediately gave rise to the creation of the Locus Sancti Iacobi (Place of Saint James), an area dedicated to worshipping his remains. These were the beginnings of the worship of St. James and the distant beginnings of the Way.
Alfonso II the Chaste in Tumbo A of the Cathedral of Santiago (12th and 13th Centuries)Regional Government of Galicia
874: The pilgrimage of Alfonso the Great
The King of Asturias Alfonso III, or Alfonso the Great, undertook the pilgrimage with Queen Jimena in 874, bestowing upon the apostle a cross made from gold and precious stones, an emblem of the Kingdom of Asturias and a symbol of the crown's support of these pilgrimages.
Monte do Gozo (2020)Regional Government of Galicia
997: Attack on Santiago de Compostela
In the summer of 997, Santiago de Compostela was attacked by Almanzor, ambassador of the Caliphate of Córdoba and hajib (chamberlain) to Caliph Hisham II. His army destroyed the pre-Roman temple dedicated to Saint James but let the sepulchre remain, which allowed pilgrims to continue to travel there.
Puerta Santa, Catedral de Santiago de Compostela (1075)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia
1122: The creation of Holy Year
The oldest preserved papal bull, the Regis aeterni, confirms the privilege granted by Pope Callixtus II in 1122 that July, 25 of each year, the feast of Saint James, coincides with a Sunday, Santiago de Compostela Cathedral can enjoy the same grace granted to Rome during a Jubilee year, which is celebrated every 25 years.
Arma Christi, Central Arch, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation
1211: Completion of the Portico of Glory
The Portico of Glory is the western entrance to the Romanesque cathedral at the Santiago Cathedral. Designed by the genius Master Mateo, it is universally considered a masterpiece work of art. Its construction was delayed until 1211, when the cathedral was consecrated in the presence of King Alfonso IX.
Med Epid Plague Black DeathLIFE Photo Collection
1348: The Black Death reaches Santiago
The history of the St. James Way runs parallel to Europe's difficult history. The Black Death epidemic reached Galicia via the Vigo Ria estuary. By the summer of 1348, the disease had reached Compostela, where later documents describe houses deserted by the deaths of entire families.
Martin Luther (1483–1546) Martin Luther (1483–1546) (probably 1532) by Lucas Cranach the ElderThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
1517: Beginnings of Protestant Reformation
On October 31, 1517, the theologian and Augustinian monk Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg. This gesture represents the beginning of the Protestant Reformation which, alongside the religious wars in German territories and in France, marked the beginning of a more variable influx of pilgrims to the Way.
LIFE Photo Collection
1589: The body of the apostle is hidden
According to the tradition, in May 1589, with concern for an attack on Santiago de Compostela by Francis Drake's English, archbishop Juan de Sanclemente ordered the body of the apostle to be hidden, and it remained in an unknown location for almost 300 years. In reality, there is no evidence that confirms this story.
Urna del Apóstol SantiagoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation
1879: Second discovery of the body of Saint James
The remains of the apostle are found for the second time, and shortly after, the discovery is confirmed in a papal bull. Six years later sees celebrations of an extraordinary Holy Year, and in 1891 the crypt of the apostle is opened to the public.
John Paul II in Santiago de Compostela (1982)Regional Government of Galicia
1982: The pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II
The pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II in 1982 and his pro-European speech at the Main Altar of the Santiago Cathedral gave the St. James Way the definitive boost it enjoys today. This was the culmination of recovery efforts that had been made on the Way since the 1950s, after the Spanish Civil War and the World War II.
Concha de vieira en un muro (2021)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia
1993: The Way, a World Heritage Site
In 1993, after the end of the first Jacobean Year (or Holy Year) promoted by the Regional Government (Xunta) of Galicia, the Camino Francés (the French Way) in Spain was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognition that was extended in 1998 to the St. James Way routes in France and in 2015 to the Northern Routes.
Peregrinos en el Camino de Santiago (2021)Original Source: Axencia Turismo de Galicia
2021-2022: The double Holy Year
For the first time in history, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, there will be a double Holy Year, when this unifying route will pay tribute to the millions of victims of this pandemic across the world.
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