The Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago) is a major Christian pilgrimage route in Europe.
The Way of St. James was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages, together with Rome and Jerusalem, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned; other major pilgrimage routes include the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Legend holds that St. James’s remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried on what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. (The name Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctu Iacobu, “Saint James”.)
The Way can take one of dozens of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. Traditionally, as with most pilgrimages, the Way of Saint James began at one’s home and ended at the pilgrimage site. However a few of the routes are considered main ones. During the Middle Ages, the route was highly traveled. However, the Black Death, the Protestant Reformation and political unrest in 16th century Europe led to its decline. By the 1980s, only a few pilgrims per year arrived in Santiago. Later, the route attracted a growing number of modern-day pilgrims from around the globe. The route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in October 1987; it was also named one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
My first experience of the Fiesta de San Fermin came in 1994. Pamplona is astride the “main” pilgrimage route, which historically began in Paris and crossed the Pyrenees into Spain near Roncesvalles.
Those (like me) traveling from France to Pamplona by train always at Irun, along the Bay of Biscay, this being an “alternate” pilgrimage route to the north, running nearer the ocean. During the course of that first visit to Pamplona, the older hands taught me many valuable lessons, among them the delightful existence of sloe-flavored patxaran liqueur, the Basque history of the world, and the significance of the Way of St, James.
Ever since then, I’ve wanted to follow the pilgrimage route some day. Although I’ve become somewhat of a walker, my original choice of transportation remains the bicycle; at 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the border to Santiago de Compostela, a leisurely month riding is easy to contemplate, allowing for noteworthy stops in between.
Now, finally, to the point: There is a movie about the Way of St. James, directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father, Martin Sheen, and it’s quite good. The Way was released four years ago, and we watched it last week. My resolve to make the journey at some point in my life has been strengthened, with niggling details concerning time and money yet to be resolved.
A Trek From Loss and Grief to a Life Given Greater Meaning, by Neil Genzlinger (New York Times)
One thing you quickly realize when you sit down to watch “The Way”: Martin Sheen is a very compelling actor. Another thing you realize more slowly as the film goes along: His oldest son, Emilio Estevez, is a very sensitive director.
