The Road to Santiago de Compostela

The shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain was one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the medieval world, ranking with Rome and Jerusalem as a centre of Christianity. This book is a guide in English to the buildings along the main pilgrims' route, which stretches from the Pyrenees through Navarre, the Rioja, Old Castile and Galicia to Santiago itself. The route, known as the Camino Frances, runs through some wild and beautiful landscapes - established by the end of the 10th century, it has been followed by pilgrims ever since. Along it arose some of the most outstanding buildings in Spain - the churches, monasteries, cathedrals, hostels and hospitals associated with the pilgrimage. The dominant architectural style is Romanesque, brought to Spain by the great French monastic orders who organized the pilgrimage in the 11th and 12th centuries.