General:Promote the “other” routes to Santiago in order to avoid mass visitors at the French Camino, due to the Holy Year in 2004.
Social:Santiago’s Road as a redemption mean for “condemns to youngsters”.
Environmental: Increase the ecologic knowledge with the campaign “for a cleaner Road”.
Carlos has carried in 2003 out the Galician stages of the 8 Santiago pilgrim ways by foot in multimedia format, a necessary web for the Pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela and visitors to Galicia.
my camino
How is done caminoasantiago.com? The secrets behind
Last minute last news from Carlos
The plan Camino a Camino, día a día
Learn to know Carlos what has driven him to the Camino
Multimedia All the Camino in Images.
Your contribution Your help is needed
contests
Photos Sponsored by Olympus. Present. digital camera mju400
The Camino for Kids Play and learn about the Camino
Virtual Compostela Test yourself your knowledge
Vote Vote your favourite photos and get an Olympus mju400 digital camera
the camino
History History and legend
Information about el Camino Everything you need to know
Information on Galicia Much more than the camino.
General information Mapa del web y más info.
Santiago de Compostela
La imagen más emblemática de Santiago
The history of Santiago is related to the discovery of the grave of Apóstol Santiago El Mayor (apostle Jacob the Older) at the beginning of the 9th century by a hermit in the woods of Libredón. The region was inhabited since Roman times though, for remains of a 1st century cathedral were excavated.
The bishop of Iria, Teodomiro and king Alfonso II the Chaste garantueed the authenticity of the tomb, which started off the pilgrimages to Saint Jacob’s grave. The piligrims boom to Santiago was noticed by the Arabs who, under the leadership of Almanzor, devastated the old basilica completely and brought the bells to Córdoba. Nevertheless the pilgrimages continued and in 1075 the building of today’s cathedral in Romanesque style started, which was finished in 1211. The city was constructed around the cathedral and because of the establishment of all main religious orders, it developed into one of the most important holy places of the Western world, apart from Rome and Jeruzalem. In the era of the Reyes Católicos (catholic kings Ferdinand and Isabel), the Hospital Real was built. At the beginning of the 16th century archbischop Fonseca founded the University, which formed the last part of the city’s cultural infrastructure. The reformation and different wars practicaly caused the pilgrimage to vanish in later centuries. Santiago’s grave was hidden until it was rediscovered in the 19th century. This caused the resurrection of the pilgrimages that coincided with the nomination of Santiago de Compostela as World’s heritage by UNESCO and the Camino de Santiago as European Cultural Route. The amount of pilgrims has risen inmensely. In 1999, the last Holy or Jacobian Year, not less than ten million people visited Santiago.
