Category: Santiago de Compostela

Everything you need to know about the wonderful Medieval City of Santiago de Compostela where the Apostle Saint James rests at the end of the Camino de Santiago

The 2016 Year of Mercy & the Opening of the Holy Door in Santiago de Compostela on Holy Years

On the 13th of December 2015, the Archbishop Barrio of Santiago de Compostela opened the Holy Door of his Cathedral under the recommendation of the Pope Francis in honor of the 2016 Jubilee Year of Mercy. This is an extraordinary event as the Holy Door should only be opened on Jubilee Years, when the Feast of Saint James, the 25th of July, falls on a Sunday.

Opening the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela The Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela from inside[/caption]

According to Catholic traditions, walking the Camino on a Holy Year or during the 2016 Year of Mercy and entering the Cathedral of Santiago through the Holy Door gives believers plenary indulgence.

In this post, we would like to explain what this means and what happens on traditional Holy Years.
Continue reading The 2016 Year of Mercy & the Opening of the Holy Door in Santiago de Compostela on Holy Years

What is the Camino de Santiago and how many people walk it per year?

The Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of Saint James, is the name used to refer to all the routes that lead to where the apostle Saint James the Great is said to be buried. The Camino has been one of the most important Christian Pilgrimage for well over 1,000 years and it has started a new international rebirth.

The Camino is a journey to the religious and historical roots of Europe, it’s traveling through beautiful countryside and timeless villages, it’s rediscovering the pleasure of being in direct contact with nature.

But it is also an invitation, to rediscover yourself through introspection and new encounters, to change habits that have been making you unhappy, to build unexpected friendships and give yourself new challenges.

Find out here about our Caminos and how we can help create the Camino you are looking for.

Camino Fact Files

  • The Camino de Santiago is a network of routes from every major city in Europe that lead to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain
  • It is the 3rd most important Christian Pilgrimage after Jerusalem & Rome
  • It leads to the burial place of the Apostle Saint James
  • Walking the Camino on a Holy Year or during the 2016 Year of Mercy gives you plenary indulgence
  • Over 300,000 pilgrims finished the Camino in 2017

Continue reading What is the Camino de Santiago and how many people walk it per year?