St James and Spain
St James the Greater became a disciple of Jesus at the same time as Peter, Andrew and his own brother John.
More things to do Spain
It is well-known by all that upon the death of the Saviour, the Apostles, following Christ's instructions, ventured out to the four corners of the world as it was known then in order to teach the Gospel. According to tradition, St James came to the Iberian Peninsula, (in those times called Hispania), where the memory of his preaching still endures at several places, such as Viana do Castelo, Braga, Padron, Lerida and Cartagena. On the outskirts of the town of Caesar augusta (the present-day Zaragoza, Saragossa). James was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who came miraculously to comfort him from Palestine, where she still lived, leaving him as a reminder of her presence a column or pillar, which is kept at the Basilica in Zaragoza.
On his return to Jerusalem, James was apprehended and beheaded. Thereupon his disciples devoutly gathered up his body and, setting off from the port of Jaffa (the present-day Haifa), headed for Iria Flavia in Hispania (a coastal town that once stood near what today is the village of Padron in Galicia), on a journey that took them across the Mediterranean, along the Strait of Gibraltar and around the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. From Iria the disciples then carried the body inland on a cart drawn by oxen which, as legend will have it, was given to them by a woman by the name of Lupa. Finally, they laid the saint's remains to rest in a funerary structure built at a place called Libredon, situated near a castro (or prehistoric fortified settlement) whose existence and location is still remembered today by one of the streets in Santiago's old quarter, namely Calle del Castro.
Once they had brought James' body to these lands, the saint's disciples set off once more on their evangelizing mission from the very tomb in which he had been buried. Two of them, Theodore and Athanasius, who in all likelihood stayed behind to serve as the first guardians of this apostolic site, would in time also be buried in this tomb, one on either side of their master.
The Tomb of St James Spain
With the passing of the centuries and the ever-changing fortunes they brought, the tomb of St James was to gradually fall into oblivion. Amongst the many specific reasons why this should happen were the various persecutions to which Rome subjected the early Christians, an oppression that was felt to a greater or lesser extent in all corners of the Empire; the Barbarian invasion of Galicia in the early 5th century; and the subsequent Moslem over-running of the region in the early 8th century. Little by little, the small funerary structure was destroyed as a result of its exposure to the elements and its ruins came to be hidden by plant cover. Indeed, the only indication that remained as to its existence was the vague memory that the local inhabitants passed on, by word of mouth, from generation to generation, namely that somewhere in Gallaecia (Galicia). at a place called Libredon, lay the relics of St James the Greater, Christ's Apostle.
In the early 9th century, a hermit by the name of Pelagius, who lived in a church dedicated to St Felix which itself was situated at Libredon, is said to have perceived, on successive nights, a series of inexplicable lights and sounds that seemed to emanate from the wood that lay nearby. Aware as he was as were so many others that this very spot was the one that allegedly concealed the tomb of St James, Pelagius hastily set off for the neighboring town of Iria Flavia, 20 kilometers away, where Theodomir, the bishop of the local diocese resided, in order to inform him of such strange happenings, which he himself believed to be miraculous signs indicating the exact location of the tomb. Thereupon, the prelate visited the site accompanied by his entourage.
Trees were felled, undergrowth cleared, unearthing a small building that lay in ruins and which comprised two levels: an upper one featuring a small altar, and a lower level or crypt in which three burials were discovered. The latter were immediately attributed to the Apostle himself (the central tomb), and to his two disciples, Theodore and Athanasius (those on either side).
On receiving the glad tidings, the King of Asturias Alfonso II the Chaste, accompanied by his noblemen, hurried here from Oviedo in order to admire the Apostle's sepulchre. The king ordered a small basilica to be erected over the site of the tomb, whereby the original altar belonging to the latter was retained. At the same time, he arranged for the foundation, on adjacent lands, of a monastery. Here, a community of twelve Benedictine monks from Oviedo led by Abbot Iidefredo were entrusted with the task of providing for and supervising the incipient veneration of the relics of St James the Apostle.
Santiago de Compostela Spain
Thus the town of Compostela was born, its first buildings being the said basilica and monastery. Its name was believed, up to a few decades ago, to have derived from the Latin Campus Stellae (Field of Stars), in memory of the miraculous lights that revealed the location of the tomb. In recent years, however, a number of other explanations for the name have come to challenge this theory.
In 1955, the excavations carried out beneath the Cathedral unearthed the tombstone belonging to Bishop Theodomir of Iria, the man who according to tradition was responsible for the discovery of St James' tomb. The finding of this tombstone has greatly reinforced the authenticity of the traditional account, both as a result of the fact that Theodomir had expressly wished to be buried near the body of the Apostle and not in Iria, his episcopal see, and because the date of his death, recorded by the inscription appearing on the tombstone as being 847, is in keeping with the general chronology that has been assigned to the great event he played such an important part in.
The Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage
Having taken the decision to undertake the pilgrimage to the tomb of St James, the unending stream of pilgrims would start their journey from the very doors of their own houses, making up their exact itinerary as they went on, in accordance with the various alternatives afforded them by the road network existing in Europe at the time. It can be said, therefore, that the generic term Pilgrims' Route to Santiago refers not to a single route but rather to a combination of possible itineraries featuring a myriad of points of departure the pilgrims' own dwellings and a common destination, namely the Apostle's sepulchre. Indeed, the only justification for the use of this term lies in the very fact that those who made their way to Compostela did so by means of the said network.
Those who journeyed along the Route with the intention of reaching Santiago were what we can call spiritual travelers, or even sacred wayfarers. Taking the above into account and in light of the wealth of cultural developments and exchanges that have taken place under the influence of the Route, in 1987 UNESCO effectively recognized this generic concept of the Pilgrims' Route to Santiago, declaring the latter to be a Primary European Cultural Itinerary.
The pilgrimage to Santiago was to receive a great impulse when, in around 1119, it was granted the so-called Jubilee or Holy Year Privilege by Pope Callistus II. A Holy Year, according to this particular privilege, is any year in which the feast day commemorating the martyrdom of St James held on the 25th July falls on a Sunday, which happens to occur every 6, 5, 6 and 11 years. Those pilgrims who in a Holy Year completed the journey to the basilica in Santiago were able to benefit from the concession of a full indulgence and obtain many other spiritual rewards.
More things to do Spain
It is well-known by all that upon the death of the Saviour, the Apostles, following Christ's instructions, ventured out to the four corners of the world as it was known then in order to teach the Gospel. According to tradition, St James came to the Iberian Peninsula, (in those times called Hispania), where the memory of his preaching still endures at several places, such as Viana do Castelo, Braga, Padron, Lerida and Cartagena. On the outskirts of the town of Caesar augusta (the present-day Zaragoza, Saragossa). James was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who came miraculously to comfort him from Palestine, where she still lived, leaving him as a reminder of her presence a column or pillar, which is kept at the Basilica in Zaragoza.
On his return to Jerusalem, James was apprehended and beheaded. Thereupon his disciples devoutly gathered up his body and, setting off from the port of Jaffa (the present-day Haifa), headed for Iria Flavia in Hispania (a coastal town that once stood near what today is the village of Padron in Galicia), on a journey that took them across the Mediterranean, along the Strait of Gibraltar and around the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. From Iria the disciples then carried the body inland on a cart drawn by oxen which, as legend will have it, was given to them by a woman by the name of Lupa. Finally, they laid the saint's remains to rest in a funerary structure built at a place called Libredon, situated near a castro (or prehistoric fortified settlement) whose existence and location is still remembered today by one of the streets in Santiago's old quarter, namely Calle del Castro.
Once they had brought James' body to these lands, the saint's disciples set off once more on their evangelizing mission from the very tomb in which he had been buried. Two of them, Theodore and Athanasius, who in all likelihood stayed behind to serve as the first guardians of this apostolic site, would in time also be buried in this tomb, one on either side of their master.
The Tomb of St James Spain
With the passing of the centuries and the ever-changing fortunes they brought, the tomb of St James was to gradually fall into oblivion. Amongst the many specific reasons why this should happen were the various persecutions to which Rome subjected the early Christians, an oppression that was felt to a greater or lesser extent in all corners of the Empire; the Barbarian invasion of Galicia in the early 5th century; and the subsequent Moslem over-running of the region in the early 8th century. Little by little, the small funerary structure was destroyed as a result of its exposure to the elements and its ruins came to be hidden by plant cover. Indeed, the only indication that remained as to its existence was the vague memory that the local inhabitants passed on, by word of mouth, from generation to generation, namely that somewhere in Gallaecia (Galicia). at a place called Libredon, lay the relics of St James the Greater, Christ's Apostle.
In the early 9th century, a hermit by the name of Pelagius, who lived in a church dedicated to St Felix which itself was situated at Libredon, is said to have perceived, on successive nights, a series of inexplicable lights and sounds that seemed to emanate from the wood that lay nearby. Aware as he was as were so many others that this very spot was the one that allegedly concealed the tomb of St James, Pelagius hastily set off for the neighboring town of Iria Flavia, 20 kilometers away, where Theodomir, the bishop of the local diocese resided, in order to inform him of such strange happenings, which he himself believed to be miraculous signs indicating the exact location of the tomb. Thereupon, the prelate visited the site accompanied by his entourage.
Trees were felled, undergrowth cleared, unearthing a small building that lay in ruins and which comprised two levels: an upper one featuring a small altar, and a lower level or crypt in which three burials were discovered. The latter were immediately attributed to the Apostle himself (the central tomb), and to his two disciples, Theodore and Athanasius (those on either side).
On receiving the glad tidings, the King of Asturias Alfonso II the Chaste, accompanied by his noblemen, hurried here from Oviedo in order to admire the Apostle's sepulchre. The king ordered a small basilica to be erected over the site of the tomb, whereby the original altar belonging to the latter was retained. At the same time, he arranged for the foundation, on adjacent lands, of a monastery. Here, a community of twelve Benedictine monks from Oviedo led by Abbot Iidefredo were entrusted with the task of providing for and supervising the incipient veneration of the relics of St James the Apostle.
Santiago de Compostela Spain
Thus the town of Compostela was born, its first buildings being the said basilica and monastery. Its name was believed, up to a few decades ago, to have derived from the Latin Campus Stellae (Field of Stars), in memory of the miraculous lights that revealed the location of the tomb. In recent years, however, a number of other explanations for the name have come to challenge this theory.
In 1955, the excavations carried out beneath the Cathedral unearthed the tombstone belonging to Bishop Theodomir of Iria, the man who according to tradition was responsible for the discovery of St James' tomb. The finding of this tombstone has greatly reinforced the authenticity of the traditional account, both as a result of the fact that Theodomir had expressly wished to be buried near the body of the Apostle and not in Iria, his episcopal see, and because the date of his death, recorded by the inscription appearing on the tombstone as being 847, is in keeping with the general chronology that has been assigned to the great event he played such an important part in.
The Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage
Having taken the decision to undertake the pilgrimage to the tomb of St James, the unending stream of pilgrims would start their journey from the very doors of their own houses, making up their exact itinerary as they went on, in accordance with the various alternatives afforded them by the road network existing in Europe at the time. It can be said, therefore, that the generic term Pilgrims' Route to Santiago refers not to a single route but rather to a combination of possible itineraries featuring a myriad of points of departure the pilgrims' own dwellings and a common destination, namely the Apostle's sepulchre. Indeed, the only justification for the use of this term lies in the very fact that those who made their way to Compostela did so by means of the said network.
Those who journeyed along the Route with the intention of reaching Santiago were what we can call spiritual travelers, or even sacred wayfarers. Taking the above into account and in light of the wealth of cultural developments and exchanges that have taken place under the influence of the Route, in 1987 UNESCO effectively recognized this generic concept of the Pilgrims' Route to Santiago, declaring the latter to be a Primary European Cultural Itinerary.
The pilgrimage to Santiago was to receive a great impulse when, in around 1119, it was granted the so-called Jubilee or Holy Year Privilege by Pope Callistus II. A Holy Year, according to this particular privilege, is any year in which the feast day commemorating the martyrdom of St James held on the 25th July falls on a Sunday, which happens to occur every 6, 5, 6 and 11 years. Those pilgrims who in a Holy Year completed the journey to the basilica in Santiago were able to benefit from the concession of a full indulgence and obtain many other spiritual rewards.
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