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Santiago de CompostelaMagnificent, Medieval Spanish GemBy Suna and Rusi Kanga
Although Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain attracts scores of modern-day pilgrims and tourists, for us it was a discovery. Since the Middle Ages, it has been Christendom’s third most important pilgrimage place after Jerusalem and Rome. Today, energetic and adventurous pilgrims of all faiths are recreating the Road to Santiago along medieval routes, several wielding staffs with shells to pay homage at the tomb of Saint James, (Santiago in Spanish).
For us, the parador was a great introduction to a charming town with a 1000-year history. A World Heritage city, Santiago de Compostela is the spiritual and administrative capital of Galicia and an important university town. Its streets and squares, even its lifestyle, stand preserved within the Old City’s stony walls and labyrinths offering vistas of church spires. From a small settlement surrounding St. James’ Church in the 10th century, its importance grew when it became a pilgrimage destination.
Santiago de Compostela found its place in Spanish history with the discovery of the Apostle’s tomb in the 9th century. According to the legends, Saint James came to Spain to evangelize the northern Iberian Peninsula. Later, he was beheaded in Palestine and his body placed by disciples in a boat which miraculously reached the Galician coast. After many vicissitudes, he was buried on Mount Libredo and forgotten until the tomb was discovered by a hermit who was guided into the forest by a star and ethereal music. Thus, the village of San Fiz de Solovio became Santiago de Compostela. Monarchs, soldiers, artisans, saints and sinners made long pilgrimages to Santiago, enduring the cold of the mountains and the heat of the metesa (plains). The route of faith became “the umbilical cord of the peninsula with Europe,” noted Professor Lacarra. Trade developed as the agricultural economy of Europe was introduced to the industrialization of the Moslem world. The grand Basilica was built over the Apostle’s sepulchre and the Road to Santiago, the Camino de Santiago, became one of the busiest routes in Europe, for trade and the propagation of art and literature.
“The celebrated Road to Santiago is actually several routes, a symbol of the life of Christ, an unsafe path towards the eternal home,” wrote Frenchman Aymery Picaud in the Guide to the Road of Santiago. The monk’s precise record of his journey, (1130), is an obligatory reference book for today’s pilgrims. “There are four routes to Santiago which join into one at Puente la Reina, in Spanish territory… and from there only one road to Santiago,” he stated. The first traditional route was from Arles near Marseilles and across the Pyrenees, while the other three started from Paris, Vezelay and Le Puy and entered Navara at Roncesvalles. Many made the journey to fulfil a vow or a desire. For today’s travelers, young and old, it is a trendy idea to travel around Europe and end the trip at Santiago after doing the last stretch along one of the old routes. Pilgrims can collect a certificate if they can furnish evidence of having come on foot or horseback for over 100 km, or 150 km by bicycle, in the right spirit.
The Spanish city’s prestigious 500-year-old University lends a youthful air to the city, particularly during weekends when spirited students flock to bars, restaurants, theatres and concerts. Over 30,000 students are breathing life into the old section and the new suburban areas where modern hotels, restaurants, stores and boutiques have sprung up.
Copyright (one-time publication right) Mrs Suna Kanga |
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Santiago de Compostela was not
on our Spain itinerary, just a thought at the back of our minds. Then, as
though drawn by an invisible force, our flight schedule changed, train
tickets were available and one of Spain’s best paradors (hotels) has a room
for us! Overnight, we were transported from Madrid to this enchanting
cathedral town in northwest Spain where the annual Festival of Saint James
is celebrated in July. Most memorable was our encounter with saints and
spirited travelers … 
“For me, this is an emotional moment, an act of arrival
at the end of a symbolic journey. Touching my head to the saint signifies
the completion of my travels,” says the Canadian backpacker with dusty
boots. We were standing in line within Spain’s venerated Cathedral of
Santiago de Compostela, a magnificent monument to Apostle Saint James the
Elder. Visitors slotted fingers of their right hand into a carved pillar of
the magnificent Portico of Glory, bowed low and touched their brow on a 12th
century stone head of an unknown saint. The act
involving the Head-banging Saint, or Saint of Bumps, (Santos dos Croques),
was believed to impart wisdom and good luck. 
We had arrived at dawn on the
comfortable, overnight train from Madrid. A taxi took us from the station to
the Plaxo do Obradoiro where the mysterious Baroque spires of the
magnificent Cathedral deepened the darkness. Next door, the carved,
Plateresque doorway of the “Parador de Santiago de Compostila,” our hotel
for the night, promised sumptuous shelter. Its official name, Hostal de los
Reyes Catolics, had divulged no clue to its splendor. 
Believed to be one of the oldest and finest hotels in
the world, the sprawling parador with four courtyard gardens was built by
Catholic monarchs in 1499 as an inn for pilgrims. Today’s travelers rest
their heads on beds with carved headboards and walk on woven rugs.
Colonnaded courtyards with gracious archways, a magnificent chapel with
vaulted ceiling, medieval dining room and function rooms packed with
artistic treasures and furniture, make this a memorable hotel. A far cry
from being an inn for ailing pilgrims! 
At daylight, the hilltop Plazo
do Obradoiro at our doorstep was abuzz with life. Groups of Japanese
tourists and cruise passengers, (La Coruna port was about 90 minutes away),
milled around leaders speaking various languages. Young pilgrims strode past
wearing the traditional pilgrim garb of Saint James – wide-brimmed hats,
cloaks and wooden staffs affixed with scallop shells. Shells were given to
arriving pilgrims in the Middle Ages and became a symbol of pilgrimage.
The October sun was in a lighthearted mood flirting
with the clouds as we trained our cameras on the Cathedral and the facing
neoclassical building shared by the Xunta (regional government) and the City
Corporation. Carts selling miniature silver shells and other souvenirs added
color to the stony Square. 
Following the pilgrims’ final path, we climbed the
decorative stairway to the Cathedral, (1076 to 12th century). The Obradoiro entrance led into the Portico of Glory, a prodigious
poem in stone that unfolded in three intricately carved archways. At the
top, an apocalyptic representation of Christ surrounded by apostles and
musicians formed a canopy for the sculpture of Saint James on a central
pillar. At the base, facing the altar on his knees was master Mateo, creator
of the monumental artwork.
Although
non-Christians, we sat back and enjoyed the experience. From the glittering Main Altar, a nun
called to the congregation of visitors and locals to join her in song.
Raised voices sanctified the beautiful setting. Chanting in Spanish, priests
in white robes with red sashes conducted a service. Nearby, within kiosks,
purple-robed padres listened to confessions. Joining a queue, we descended a
stairway behind the altar to touch the silver mantle of the 13th century
statue of the Apostle and view the silver crypt with his sacred remains.
Viewing the elaborate Main
Chapel, we admired the large floating angels surrounding the jewel-encrusted
Apostle. For 200 years men had toiled to build the Cathedral. While the
exterior underwent successive renovations, the interior is basically the
same and an invaluable legacy of the Romanesque style. Another interesting
feature was the botafumero, an immense incense burner, hooked to a pulley
and swung by strong tiraboleiros during special ceremonies. Worth visiting
was the Cathedral Museum where displays included 18th century tapestries of
singular value made from paintings by the brilliant Francisco de Goya. 
Finding it difficult to decide on which monuments to
visit, we strolled through the Old Quarter and took in places along the way.
With maps from Tourist Information and the Chamber of Commerce offices, we
explored the Cathedral complex, one of the world’s richest and most
impressive architectural complexes. Within Silversmiths’ Square (Las
Platerias), the Fountain of Los Caballos is a centrepiece with graceful
horses. The Square of La Quintana is crowned by a
Clock Tower, (14th century), with a famous bell, La Berenguela. We paused to
admire carved doorways, nipped into a peaceful convent garden and lingered
near a monastery. Everywhere, stone carvings made a stunning impact.
A drizzle added sheen to the paved flagstone of narrow
streets awash with old charm and local colour. Along Franco and Raino
streets, we passed taverns with bright artworks by Galician artists and
restaurants displaying shellfish and cured hams. A jewellery store selling beautifully crafted ornaments of silver and jet
stone (azabache or polished coal, a local specialty) solved our dilemma of
gifts to take home. At a roadside café, we sipped rich, full-flavoured hot
chocolate -- the best we have ever had! Girls offering samples of local
cakes drew us into stores to buy Ribeiros and Albarinos wines and pyramidal
cheeses. By lunchtime, we were ready to tackle a
huge platter of tender Galician-style pork with parsnip and potatoes.
Santiago’s greatest celebration is the Festival of
Santiago the Apostle celebrated on 25th July. During the month, elaborate
services and outstanding musical and theatrical events attract over 30,000
visitors. Most important is the Xacobeo or the special Compostela Holy
Year which occurs this year and again in 2010. Through the year, travelers
will recreate the adventure along ancient routes to pay homage to Saint
James, touch their forehead on the statue of the Saint of Bumps, feel the
exultation of arrival and exclaim, “I did it!”