Camino de Santiago: Europe's Oldest Pilgrimage Path Since the 9th Century
The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, reflects almost 1,000 years of pilgrimage tradition that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, where the remains of the Apostle St. James the Greater are said to repose under the main altar. This network of paths became one of Christianity's three most important mediaeval pilgrimages, alongside Jerusalem and Rome—the only ones that provided plenary indulgence (relief from penance for sins).
According to legend, after Herod Agrippa killed St. James in Jerusalem in 44 CE, his disciples took his remains by boat across the Mediterranean to Spain's northwest coast. The body was forgotten until the early ninth century, when a hermit called Pelagius discovered it while being guided to a field by a bright star. The local bishop recognised the remains as genuine, and the location became known as Campus Stellae (Field of the Star), later growing into Santiago de Compostela.
In 834, King Alfonso II of Asturias made the first pilgrimage from Oviedo across the mountains to confirm the finding. His route founded the Camino Primitivo (Primitive Way), the oldest official path. By the 12th century, French monk Aymeric Picaud had written the Codex Calixtinus, the world's first travel handbook, which described the Camino Francés (French Way) and provided practical information on housing, temples, gastronomy, and traditions.
The pilgrimage peaked during the mediaeval period, when thousands travelled annually. King Alfonso VII of León, Louis VII of France, and Philip II of Spain walked to Santiago. Charlemagne secured roads by fighting Muslim armies, and infrastructure flourished: bridges, hospitals, monasteries, and entire cities grew along the highways.
The pilgrimage decreased in the 14th century but has resurfaced in current times. UNESCO recognised the route network as important for Iberian cultural, historical, artistic, and architectural development. Today, pilgrims begin in their local parishes, with routes from all across Europe converging before the Pyrenees near St. Jean Pied de Port.
