A route runs through EUROPE with destination Compostela

The discovery of the tomb of the Apostle Saint James in Galicia around the year 820 was one of the most important events of the Middle Ages in all the continent

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1,200 years of HISTORY at our feet

Today, twelve centuries later, the Way of St. James is the first European Cultural Itinerary and is a World Heritage Site

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DIALOGUE of cultures and “highway” of KNOWLEDGE

On the walk to Compostela arose the Romanic style, the Gothic Cathedrals, the medieval lyrical poetry of the “cantigas” or the “chansons de geste”

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Example of HOSPITALITY and SOLIDARITY

Fraternity, hospitality and voluntary service are the three grand values of the Way

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From the Codex Calixtinus to the ten historical ROUTES

There are ten historical routes of the Way. The Codex Calixtinus describes one of these in the XII century, the French Way

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A Way of the SPIRIT which venerates the first martyr of Christianity

Santiago the Elder was decapitated in Jerusalem about the year 44 and his disciples wanted to bring him to Hispania, where several documents dating from the VI century situated his pilgrimage

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The EFFORTS of the walker obtains their REWARD

There are kilometres of effort and illusion. The pilgrim knows that “the goal is the Way” and he enjoys each experience until the culmination of the route

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SANTIAGO: The city which is “more eternal than ancient”

Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia, with a historical quarter which is a World Heritage Site and is one of the cities with more green areas in Spain

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Origins and evolution

The creation of the Holy Year in Santiago goes back to the XV century. It is believed that the first one in history could have been the Jubilee Year of 1428, or perhaps 1434, both convened by Archbishop Lope de Mendoza. The next Holy Year will be in 2021.

The Way at the present time

The Public network of Pilgrims’ hostels in The Way of Saint James takes the network of medieval hospitals as a model and today there are 70 centres and more than 3,000 public places.

Associations of the Way

Friends of the Way of St. James associations are independent not-for-profit organizations separate from Turismo de Galicia.The first Society of Friends of Santiago was founded in Paris in 1950.

Honorary Ambassadors and the Way of Saint James

The title of Honorary Ambassador is bestowed by the Xunta de Galicia in recognition of the work done by people and institutions to preserve the Way of St. James and its values.