Santiago de Compostela was founded in the ninth century as a sacred site associated with the Apostle James. A shower of falling stars had led a hermit to a buried marble tomb containing bones identified by a local bishop as the remains of St.
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Santiago is one of the three important pilgrimage cities of Christianity, alongside Jerusalem and Rome. When European Christians saw that their faith was threatened by the advance of Islam, they asserted it by pilgrimaging to the recently discovered Sepulchre of the Apostle Saint James, in the 9th century.
Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is carried out, like many other pilgrimages, to pay homage to the remains of a martyr. In the case of the Camino de Santiago, the figure that is worshipped is Santiago the Elder. St. James Apostle was also a pilgrim who travelled all over Spain and Portugal.
1981 Santiago becomes Galicia's capital. 1985 Santiago is declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Catholic Church charges you 20 EUR to see the secret parts of The Cathedral, in particular, the Portico da Gloria or the Rooftop.
The Camino is a network of pilgrimages leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. There, according to tradition, lie the remains of St.James the Great—one of the first apostles called by Jesus, and the first to be martyred.
Is the tap water drinkable? Yes, the water is drinkable all along the Camino, and with sections receiving runoff from the mountains above, it's also delicious spring water. In many towns and villages, they will have public fountains usually in the main square where walkers can fill their packs or bottles.
Is the Camino just for Catholics? Absolutely not. While the tradition is originally Catholic, nowadays most people walk the Camino for other reasons than a spiritual pilgrimage.
In short, how exactly did I change? The answer is simple: I became infinitely better at being present; at sitting with anxiety, boredom, discomfort of any kind, and getting out of the way so it can run its course and something more productive or poetic can come in its wake.