The discovery of the tomb of St James in Compostela is one of the most important events throughout the Middle Ages and the city that emerges around the tomb turns into the third of the holy cities of Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome: the western capital.

We are following the route to Santiago to see the most important traces of pilgrimage. We do it among thousands of people that follow the route every day... There were already half a million people a year that followed the route in the 12th century.		 There were four routes from France. Three of them joined in Ostabat, in the French-Basque country, and came through Roncesvalles and the fourth one through Somport (Huesca). The three routes that came through Roncesvalles were:
  • The Touraine way which came from Paris through Orleans, Tours, Poitou, Poitiers, Saintes and Burdeos.
  • The Limoges way came from St María Magdalena de Vezelay through Limoges, Perigueux and Mont de Marsanhasta Ostabat. Pilgrims from Belgium and Lorena came along this route.
  • And the Puy route brought pilgrims from East Europe from the basilica of Notre Dame de Le Puy via Sainte Fe de Conques and Saint Pierre de Moissac.

Would you like to make the Road?
Gonzalo de Berceo said: "Todos somos romeros, que camino andamos" (‘We are all pilgrims that follow a way’). However, to be a true pilgrim the route must be followed by horse or on foot. We cannot do it this time on our journey through the net. We go to the frontiers with France to start the first of the ways to Compostela. There were pilgrims from Germany, Switzerland... from all Europe.