5 ROUTES OF THE FRENCH WAY TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
WAYS OF THE FRENCH WAY
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According to tradition, the Camino de Santiago is the road that leads from your home to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. As for the custom of the Middle Ages, in order to reach the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in a proper way, pilgrimages needed to start from the hometown itself.
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THE WAY TODAY
Today, this is no longer necessary. To get to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, you can use any of the following routes Way of St. James. In this way, tourists, as well as pilgrims from Galicia, can get to know and appreciate the beauty of the Iberian Peninsula, especially Galicia.
There are 9 Camino routes from different parts of Spain. They are called: French Way, Camino Portugués, Camino Portugués Costero, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo, Via de la Plata, Camino de Le Puy, Camino aFinisterreyCamino Inglés. Each of these tracks has its own history, unique significance and breathtaking views that can never be erased from our minds.
To understand the importance of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, we must first take a look at its history.
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA : HISTORY - LEGEND
The famous Camino de Santiago, data del siglo 8th. So the first pilgrimage is more than 1000 years old. Interestingly, there is evidence that some roads existed there even before Christ.
In the past, it was a simple trade route for the ancient Romans. They believed that the “end of the world” was near the city of Compostela. For this reason, some people called it the “Milky Way”. It is the northernmost point in western Europe.
According to tradition, a hermit reported to the bishop that he had seen an unusual glow of light on the ground near a small town. They went there together and discovered an ancient cemetery with the tomb of Santiago.
The King of Asturias then moved there with his entire retinue. It thus became the first pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela of history. The king himself ordered a cathedral to be built there, where people from all over Europe would go on pilgrimage.
From that moment on, Santiago de Compostela, which in Latin means Campus Stellae (in English “the field of stars”) became a very famous religious destination. However, it was only after the 12th century that the city of Santiago de Compostela and the Camino de Santiago gained great popularity.
In this article, we are going to focus on the French Route.
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THE FRENCH WAY
The French Way is one of the nine Caminos available for pilgrimage tourists. heading for Galicia. This is the road that connects San Juan de Pied de Port (Donibane Garazi) with Santiago de Compostela.
Es una de las rutas más populares para peregrinar por el Camino de Santiago. It also inspired many writers and artists to create their works. For example, a well-known Paulo Coelho wrote “The Pilgrimage” in 1987.
The Camino Frances normally totals 780 km and takes between 30 to 35 days, provided that the pilgrim does 25 to 35 kilometres per day.
You can start this walk from Saint Jean Pied de Port because it is considered the original starting point.
However, nowadays, people also start their Camino Francés from different starting points. Those 6 most famous places include: Roncesvalles (742 km from Santiago de Compostela), León (305 km from Santiago de Compostela), Ponferrada(a 205 km from Santiago de Compostela), O Cebreiro (a 152 km from Santiago de Compostela) y Sarria (a 113 km from Sanitago de Compostela).
THE ROAD FROM RONCESVALLES TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Every year, many pilgrims decide to go from Roncesvalles to Santiago. It is the second point after Saint Jean Pied de Port. It is also the first place in the territory of Spain.
From this point there are 32 different stages for a total of 742km. From Roncesvalles, we will find, among other places on our way, incredible places such as: Pamplona, Puente de la Reina, Los Arcos, Logroño, Burgos, León, Ponferrada, Portomarín, Pedrouzo and many more.
It is also possible to do the Camino de Santiago by bicycle.. In this case, there are 13 stages in total.
THE ROAD FROM O CEBREIRO TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
If you choose the route from O CebreiroYou can see many aspects of Galician beauty. From this point a real Galician adventure begins, as we are in the community of the capital of Compostela.
The route is 152 km long and includes between 6 and 7 stages (up to Sarria). Stops include: Triacastela, Portomarin, Castro de Castromaior, Palas de Rei, and Sarria.
THE ROAD FROM SARRIA TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
It is the last starting point to begin the French Way. It is 113 km long and takes 5 stages to cover completely.
It is a perfect choice for novice pilgrims. or for people who only have a few days available to walk the route. There are also many bars, taverns and lodgings along this road, being the most travelled stretch of all the Caminos.
Although it is the shortest way to do the French Way, doing the Camino from Sarria is enough to obtain the official certification of the Compostela, as there are more than 100 km to walk.