Santiago de Compestela
12/6/15 • Written by Julianne
Santiago de Compostella has captured my imagination since we visited Arles, France a few years ago. That smallish town was full of folks with packs, carrying staffs and with shells hanging from their jackets or packs. Arles is one of the modern places pilgrims start walking The Way of Saint James (Santiago). I am fascinated with ancient roads--I can't seem to get enough of Roman roads, Oregon Trail and other human paths. I was hooked and during our time in France found little bits of the trail here and there. Cluny Monastery in Paris was a major pilgrimage center in the Middle Ages and was a stop for us too.
Now we are in the heart of the devotional way in Compostella itself, staying in a 300-year-old building a few blocks from the Cathedral of St. James. Lucky for us it is a nice day since this is a really rainy area. Early December is not a busy season here but there were plenty of people around. More folks drove here rather than walkers but walkers too. Apparently some pilgrims use donkeys or bicycles but none today.
This shrine began in about 900 AD with pilgrims coming from all over Europe. There were 12 major paths used then and some remain active now. The most famous in the Middle Ages and now is the French way which goes along the north side of the Pyrenees and enters Spain about Roncevalles. It hugs the north coast and then moves a bit south to Compostella. We are just north of the Portuguese border, near the western point of Spain.
Pilgrimages became more popular in the Middle Ages. Compostella was just after Jerusalem and Rome as a sacred site to visit. In 2014, 230,000 pilgrims completed the route and got their certificates in Compostella. A pilgrim gets a booklet and gets it stamped at various churches along the way. Many people do pieces of the route over many years to finally complete it.
Today, the noon mass, which is especially in honor of the Pilgrims, was quite full. Someone presents a list of the pilgrims to the priest and reads aloud what countries they are from. Since it is in a big echo-y church and in Spanish, I can only report that there were Italians among the pilgrims. Pilgrims leave their backpacks and staffs outside during the service and there are designated watchers to guard their stuff.
Church exterior
The church building is such a mix of times and styles. The original building was built in the 900's to house the remains of St. James, the apostle who brought Christianity to Spain after Christ's death. The oldest part of the current building is from the 1100's. This south door is pretty much intact from those days. It shows the Romanesque arches and medieval carving.
The rest of the exterior was modernized to Spanish Gothic and some baroque. This view of the west (main) door gives a good sense of the exterior. However, the door and lower facade are under scaffolding for repairs.
Interior
The interior structure of the church remains beautiful Romanesque with glorious dome and arches above the altar. The dome and the left arches hold the remains of medieval painting. The right arches are plastered; I think never painted. The pilgrims slept in the upper arched area back in the day.
Baroque Decor
The high altar is a confection of Baroque with pure gold and silver coating most surfaces. The altar was added to over the centuries building up from the crypt with St. James' remains. The altar has an area behind where pilgrims go to "embrace the saint" which means that they put their arms around the statue of St. James as pilgrim. The line was long, I did not go in so I cannot report back on whether it creates a peaceful feeling but it seems like a kind of gentle thing to do. The upper statue in the picture of the altar shows James with a staff and wearing the typical pilgrim's hat. These are also part of current pilgrim wear but the hat now has an updated style.
The Baroque period is famous for its angels. Having visited so many churches in Rome, I have an angel-style in mind but these must be a specifically Spanish version. Big and little, they are everywhere, even climbing the pipes of the organ.
Medieval Carvings
To my delight, there were some medieval statues of saints carved on the pillars which hold up the church dome. They could not be baroqued-away and remain in place surrounded by the later style. I really love medieval style carvings and was drawn to these. I think they seem squat but in fact they are sitting, holding scrolls. I did not fined any written explanation of the medieval carvings so cannot tell who they are and what kind of paint was used which seems to still be in fairly good shape. I do not think they are ceramic but they look glazed.
Christmas Nativity Scene
A Nativity Scene fills up one section in the south east of the nave. While in Rome, I became fond of the various nativity scenes which created little towns of Bethlehem with businesses, taverns, dogs and the manger scene. They do that here too with a scene that creates a combo of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Everything is in here from Herod's palace, to a synagogue, to a rug store and a stable. The actual manger scene has shepherds and the baby is present. Wise men--not yet arrived.
Text by Julianne
Photos mostly by Nancy.
You can see that I got the hat in the new fashionable style. I have to sew a scallop shell on to the front to get it completely right. What are the chances?
We're taking a few months traveling in the South, Southwest, and up the West Coast before at last we get to our home in Seattle. We'll arrive there when good weather does (we hope).