Page 5 - Camino

Camino de Santiago. The Way of St James. The Francigena Way. What does it all mean?
Camino: This Spanish word simply means a path of travel,
or route. When written as ‘el camino’ it translates to ‘the way’.
Santiago: The name Santiago is linked to the apostle James (with Saint James meaning Santiago). He travelled to the most north-western part of Spain to preach and convert people to Christianity.
The Way of St James: The origins of the Camino began in the 9th century when the tomb of the apostle St James was unearthed in the city
of Santiago de Compostela. Early Christian pilgrims to Santiago began their ‘Camino de Santiago’ (Spanish name), or ‘Way of St James’ (English name), from their front door.
Santiago de Compostela:
Also known as Saint James of Compostela. It’s the capital of the region of Galicia in Spain and
home to the famous cathedral where the relics of St James were said to have been unearthed.
The Compostela: The official accreditation proving one's pilgrimage to the tomb of
St James in the 9th and 10th centuries. It was originally provided in the form of a scallop shell badge which proved easy to forge and was eventually replaced by the Compostela certificate.
Compostela certificate:
A document one receives from
the Pilgrim's Reception Office in Santiago. To receive the certificate you must make the pilgrimage for pious reasons (or at least have an attitude of search), walk (or ride on horseback) the last 100km or cycle the last 200km, and collect stamps in the Credencial del Peregrino from places you pass through.
Certificate of distance:
Document on parchment paper certifying the numbers
of kilometres walked. A small payment is required to receive this certificate.
The Credencial del Peregrino: In the Middle Ages this document was provided
to pilgrims as a safeguard.
Also referred to as the Camino passport, today the document can be collected from various authorised places and is used to collect stamps along the
way so one can prove their journey when collecting their Compostela certificate. We provide this on Spanish sections as part of your Camino package.
Via Francigena / Francigena Way: This pilgrim trail connects Canterbury in the UK to Rome in Italy, passing through England, France, Switzerland and Italy. The name translates to ‘the road that comes from France’. In the Middle Ages, the Via Francigena was an important road and the major
pilgrimage route to Rome from the north for pilgrims wanting to visit the Holy See (Vatican) and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.
Testimonium: Similar
to the Compostela certificate
in Spain, the Testimonium is
a document that certifies the completion of a pilgrimage to Rome undertaken in a religious spirit. To qualify, pilgrims must present a credential showing stamps for at least the final 100km into Rome for walkers or the final 200km for cyclists.
Pilgrim Credential: Also known as a 'pilgrim passport', like the 'Credencia del Peregrino' in Spain, this certifies your pilgrim status on your journey to Rome.
In the Middle Ages these were in the form of tin or pewter badges worn on clothing, as proof of a pilgrim's journey.
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