Santiago de compostela, Spain

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Description

Santiago de Compostela was one of the three holy cities of the world during the Middle Ages. From far and wide pilgrims made their way on foot to the city in northwestern Spain to visit the shrine of the apostle, St. James. According to the legend, James went to Spain after Christ's crucifixion to preach the gospel. On his return to Jerusalem he was captured by King Herod and beheaded. The friends and followers of James put the apostle's body in a boat and pushed it out to sea. After a journey of many months, the body, covered in seashells, washed ashore in Galicia on the western coast of Spain. The shell later became the symbol of St. James Way. James was buried further inland. His tomb was discovered around 850 A.D. and since then pilgrims have visited his shrine in greater or lesser numbers. About 8,000 pilgrims from across Europe still make the journey every year. At the Pyrenees they begin to converge. In Spain only one road, the Camino, leads to Santiago.