What is the Camino?
What is the Camino? The Camino de Santiago consists of a network of footpaths all across Western Europe that lead to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. His remains were discovered in 812 AD in Santiago de Compostela, though he was beheaded in 44 AD in Jerusalem when he became the first of the apostles to die a martyr. After his martyrdom, his body was taken to Spain to be buried at Santiago de Compostela. Since then, walking the Camino has become one of the world’s most popular pilgrimages, dating back to the Middle Ages. Under certain circumstances, the Catholic Church has encouraged pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela and would grant a plenary indulgence to those who made the journey (earning an indulgence allows you a special privilege to reduce the time that you would spend in purgatory after death.) There was a long period of time when the Camino was deserted and forgotten. No on...