A Pathfinder for the Pilgrimage to

Santiago de Compostela

Guides and Handbooks 

Histories

Gazetteers

Essays

Biographies

Logs and Diaries

Abstracts and Indexes

Web Sources

Histories:  These books give information about the history of the pilgrimage, the areas around the routes, and the town of Santiago de Compostela itself.

Davies, Horton and Marie Helene.  Holy Days and Holidays: the Medieval Pilgrimage to .  Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press, 1982.

[Davis – BX2321.S3 D38 1982]

This book is meant to be read from cover to cover to give a historical overview of the people who went on these pilgrimages in the past, to discuss the meaning behind the monuments that were erected, and to look at the experience of reaching Santiago’s shrine.  Some of the things that they talk about are the growth of Compostela as a pilgrimage point, the rituals that were performed by pilgrims along the way, and the relics that drew people to come.  There are fascinating stories that revolve around the history of this great pilgrimage.  

Mullins, Edwin.  The Pilgrimage to Santiago.  New York: Interlink Books, 2001.

[Davis – BX2321.S3 M84 2001]

The author retraces the pilgrim’s route himself and uses his own experiences to recount the history behind the pilgrimage.  He recounts the legends of Charlemange, Roland, and St. James himself.  He explores the ideological dimension of the spiritual pilgrimage and the spreading of religious orders around the route.  He looks at the pilgrim’s motives and experiences.  Included throughout are drawings of things seen along the way, and there is also a good map of the pilgrimage routes at the beginning of the book.

Stokstad, Marilyn.  Santiago de Compostela: In the Age of the Great Pilgrimages.  Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1978.

[Davis – DP402.S23 S77 1978]

This book specifically addresses the topic during the Middle Ages.  It covers all aspects of life for people at that time: political, social, economic, cultural, and daily.  It begins with the legend of St. James and ends with a look at the growth of Santiago de Compostela through the years.  She does a comprehensive job of presenting the history of the pilgrimage and the city by also discussing how St. James came to Spain, the development of the pilgrimage road to his shrine, and the goal of medieval pilgrims.  Included is a medieval map of Santiago de Compostela.

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