From Wikipedia: Way of St. James with hotlinks in blue
The Way of St. James or in Spanish El Camino de Santiago is the name of the pilgrimage routes to the shrine of the Apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried. The earliest records of visits paid to the shrine dedicated to St. James at Santiago de Compostela date from the 9th century, in the time of the Kingdom of Asturias. Traditionally, as with most pilgrimages, the Way of Saint James began at one's home and ended at the pilgrimage site. However a few of the routes are considered main ones. The pilgrimage to the shrine became the most renowned medieval pilgrimage, and the route was highly traveled, especially in the 12th-century. However, the Black Death, the Protestant Reformation and political unrest in 16th-century led to its decline. By the 1980s, only a few pilgrims per year arrived in Santiago. Later, the route attracted a growing number of modern-day pilgrims from around the globe. The route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in October 1987; it was also named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. |
Conor, Patrick, Maura and I will walk the French Way or the Camino Francés. It runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles on the Spanish side before making its way to Santiago de Compostela through the major cities of: Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos and León. The total distance is 769 kilometers or 477.834447 miles. But with your permission I am rounding it off to 500 miles because I am sure I will get lost along The Way. Additional website links: The Confraternity of Saint James Camino de Santiago American Pilgrims on the Camino |