Cathedral De Compastela: Timeline
Santiago de Compostela is a focal point as a pilgrimage destination for Christians around the world. Next to Jerusalem and Rome, Santiago de Compostela is the next destination for faithfuls to travel to in order to fulfill their religious itinerary. The history of this cathedral is very rich and spans nearly two thousand years, much longer than the actual building has existed or the pilgrimage. This cathedral with its pilgrimage routes that cross Spain have enabled information to travel across Europe and beyond through its many travelers, or pilgrims.
Much of what we know about the history of Santiago de Compostela corresponds to the history of Spain, so much so that it is one in the same as Spanish history. However, we have gained knowledge about the pilgrimage from other viewpoints as well; for example, through medieval travel guides for the pilgrims like the Codex Calixtinus, and from journals kept by some of the pilgrims making the journey to Santiago de Compostela, such as the one written by Dominico Laffi. Often times these other viewpoints show us the spirituality that is part of a pilgrimage in ways that the history books are incapable of doing.
The history of Santiago de Compostela is intertwined with the history of Spain and Europe as a whole. The life of Saint James may be the starting point, but the changes that effected the cathedral and its pilgrimage the most, are the political difficulties that Spain endured. The crisis that effected Santiago de Compostela the most were the invasions of the Moors, which is where the Cult of Saint James was founded. Once the followers of Saint James had the image of the moor-slayer as their protector, and the pilgrimage was promised to give a free pass to heaven, the pilgrims started making their journey, and still haven’t stopped. During some of Europe’s political tifs (wars) the numbers of pilgrims did tend to drop off, but overall the pilgrimage is an ongoing event.
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