HISTORY

People have been making the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela for nearly 1,200 years. Here's why: St. James (Santiago, in Spanish) was sent by Jesus to Galicia to preach. He was largely unsuccessful, and returned to Jerusalem. Agrippa had him beheaded, and his followers placed his body in a boat, which eventually reached the Iberian peninsula. His body was re-discovered by a shepherd in the 9th century. (In one version of the story, his body was found at Compostela covered by scallop shells - hence the scallop shell that, today, is a symbol of both St. James and of the pilgrims en route to Santiago).

During the Middle Ages, over a million Europeans put their lives on hold and walked to Santiago. Santiago de Compostela was the third most important Christian pilgrimage destination, after Jerusalem and Rome. The reasons for its importance are many. The primary reason, was, of course, to venerate the saint. Santiago is also the patron saint of Spain. At the battle of Clavijo, Spanish soldiers saw a vision of St. James in the sky, and went on to defeat a Moorish army. Santiago became known as Santiago Matamoros - or Moor killer. Finally, as Maria Rosa Menocal points out in her book The Ornament of the World, the veneration of St. James' remains was largely local until Al-Mansur sacked Santiago and melted the Cathedral's bells to make lamps for his mosque in Cordoba. This enraged the Christians of the time, and the local cult became international.

Cees Nooteboom, in his excellent book, Roads to Santiago, asserts that the sheer number of pilgrims who made the pilgrimage may be a reason the Moors never successfully conquered the most northern part of Spain, and may also be why the Islamic conquest of Spain never spilled into France and the rest of Europe.

There are a number of routes to Santiago de Compostela. The most famous - and currently most well-traveled - is the Camino Frances (or French Road). One leg begins its Spanish phase in the Pyrenees at Roncesvalles. An alternative way from France starts at Somport. Both routes from France converge at Puente La Reina. From there, a single route continues to the destination on the west coast of Spain.

Today, about 50,000 people a year make the pilgrimage. The majority (70%+) walk. Crossing Spain from the French border to Santiago de Compostela on foot takes about a month. Why do people do it? Religion. Spirituality. Culture. Or simply to take part in the river of history - to participate in something that has endured for twelve centuries.

Completing the pilgrimage entitles you to receive a Compostela - a certificate you obtain in Santiago de Compostela. To qualify for a Compostela, you must walk the last 100 kilometers or cycle the last 200 kilometers to Santiago. You can also cover the distance on horse back. No matter where you start, you need to prove you've covered the requisite distance. For that, you need a Credencial, a pilgrim's passport. You fill up the Credencial with stamps - or sellos - in the towns you pass along the way. The Credencial also entitles you to spend the night in Refugios and Albergues - dormitories and hostels for pilgrims along the Camino.

If you can find the time, do it. My pilgrimage was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. It's a great bicycle tour. It was profoundly moving, fun, and you'll meet interesting people from all over the world.