Vessel: SH Diana (IMO: 9921740)
Location: Ferrol, Spain
I really should feel guilty arriving by luxury ship and taking a comfy coach to the famous Catedral Basílica de Santiago de Compostela.
If I were a devout Christian, specifically a Catholic, then maybe. And there was plenty of holy whooping and hollering as the many self-satisfied Camino pilgrims made their theatrical entrance into the UNESCO World Heritage-listed plaza in front of the 13th-century cathedral. Some of these exuberant hikers may well have begun their journey 1000 kilometres away, although the minimum distance for certification is 100 kilometres, and I saw plenty of these being waved around.
Some of the Swan Hellenic guests did choose to hike the last 10 kilometres to the church, but my exertion extended to a flight of steps from the bus station and a mini-quest for the post office and obligatory postcards.
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| Christian or not, you have to be impressed with this altar. (RE) |
The reason Christians get all excited about this place is that it is believed to be the resting place, or reputed burial place, of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ and has historically been a place of Christian pilgrimage on the Way of St James (Camino de Santiago) since the Early Middle Ages and marks the traditional end of the pilgrimage route. As is so often the case with Catholic churches, cathedrals in particular, the inside is stunningly ornate with lashings of gold and intricate carvings and decorations. This one is no exception.
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| Some impressive millinery on show (RE) |
As an added bonus, since it was the weekend, local community groups held a costume parade, with some outfits clearly requiring considerable effort.
In Brief
Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia in northwestern Spain, grew around one of medieval Christianity’s most important pilgrimage sites. According to tradition, the remains of St James the Apostle—Santiago in Spanish—were discovered there in the early ninth century, after a hermit reported seeing mysterious lights over a woodland tomb. King Alfonso II of Asturias ordered a chapel to be built on the site and is often described as the first pilgrim to Santiago.
The shrine rapidly attracted travellers from across Europe, giving rise to the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St James. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Santiago had become a major religious, commercial and intellectual centre. Construction of its monumental Romanesque cathedral began in 1075, with later Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque additions creating the building seen today.
The city suffered periods of conflict, plague and political upheaval, while fear of English raids reportedly led church authorities to hide the apostle’s relics in the 16th century. Their location was rediscovered in the 19th century, helping revive the pilgrimage tradition.
Santiago became the capital of Spain’s autonomous community of Galicia in 1982. Its beautifully preserved old town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and today welcomes hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors each year.
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