Santiago de Compostela
Christian legends tell
that St. James the Elder, one of the twelve apostles of Christ, had
traveled widely on the Iberian Peninsula, bringing Christianity to the
Celtic peoples. Following his martyrdom in Jerusalem around 44 AD, his
relics were supposedly taken back to Spain and enshrined. Due to Roman
persecution however, the early Spanish Christians were forced to abandon
the shrine and, with the depopulation of the area following the fall of
the Roman Empire, the location of the shrine was forgotten. In 813 or
838 AD, so the legend goes, a hermit led by a beckoning star and
celestial music discovered the location of the buried relics.
Historians however, doubt that
St. James ever visited Spain and the idea that his relics were
transported to Iberia is thought to be a fabrication of the Church. The
‘discovery’ of the relics provided a convenient rallying point for
Christian Spain, then confined to a narrow strip at the north of the
Iberian Peninsula, most of which was occupied by the Moors. In addition
to the story of the relics discovery there were also reports of Santiago
Matomoro, or St. James the Moorslayer, appearing on a white horse in
844 AD to lead Christians into battle against the Moors. These two
legends are interpreted by scholars of the Age of Medieval Pilgrimage as
attempts by ecclesiastical authorities to gather popular support for
the overthrow of the Arabs. Furthermore, it is known that officials of
the Cathedral of Santiago actually hired storytellers to travel about
the European countryside spreading ‘news’ of the miracles of St. James
and his relics.
While this deceit and corruption of the Church may
shock some readers, it is a well-authenticated historical fact that
many of the founding legends of medieval pilgrimage shrines were nothing
more than tall tales. Such stories were conjured up by enterprising
church administrators who recognized that the number of pilgrims
visiting and donating money to a shrine was proportional to the
miraculous nature of the founding legend and the degree to which that
legend was promoted. Over the tomb where St. James’ relics were ‘found’,
the first church was constructed in 829 AD and within 100 years
Santiago de Compostela was attracting pilgrims from throughout Europe.
By the twelfth century it had become the center of the greatest
pilgrimage in medieval Europe.
While Jerusalem and Rome were
considered the two most important pilgrimage destinations for
Christians, because Santiago de Compostela was closer and much safer to
visit, it received far more visitors. Four major land routes to Santiago
developed over the centuries. Originating in northern France and
meandering south through other pilgrimage sites, the routes joined,
crossed the Pyrenees Mountains, and then headed to northwestern Spain.
The Benedictines built monasteries and hostels to host the pilgrims
journeying the routes to Santiago, creating what is perhaps the first
major European tourist industry. The emotional appeal and morale boost
provided by the cult of the saint swept through Europe as pilgrims
journeyed to the ‘Field of the Star’ for centuries. While most came as
true believers, a large number came as a stipulation to inheritance, as
an alternative to prison, or simply in hopes of doing a brisk trade with
the great numbers of visitors. The photograph shows a stone sculpture
of St. James in the garb of a wandering pilgrim. The seashells fastened
on his cloak were the badges of the medieval age, signifying a pilgrim’s
visit to the shrine of Santiago.
The old city
of Santiago de Compostela and its grand
cathedral are among the most beautiful
medieval artifacts in all of Europe.
Besides the visual beauty of the place,
the atmosphere is charged with devotion
and holiness. The institution of the
Church may have resorted to some unscrupulous
tactics in advertising the site yet
the many millions of pilgrims who visited
the shrine came with love and sincerity
in their hearts. The presence of that
love is still strongly felt at Santiago
de Compostela.
Dra Ana Maria Barrios Escobar
Lugares Magicos y Ana Maria Barrios E 