If asked, the typical Catholic could probably name Rome and Jerusalem as the two top destinations for Catholic pilgrimages. And they would be right. Television travel logs have coved these cities pretty well. But what is the third most popular city for Catholic pilgrims? If you just don’t know, don’t feel bad. Most would be stumped. The answer is Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.
So why Santiago de Compostela? In the 12th century, when travel to Jerusalem became too dangerous, the pilgrims started making their way to the Tomb of St. James the Great which is said to be in Santiago de Compostela. Legend has it that St. James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to the northern Spanish city, where they were buried after his death in 44 AD. Over time, routs leading to Santiago de Capostela were formed throughout Europe. These routs are known as the The Way of St. James. The 12th and 13th century was the golden age of the pilgrimage, but thousands still travel the path leading to the tomb today. It has become a tradition to collect a scallop shell from the Galicia shores as a memento of the completed trip. The grooves on the shell lead to one point, which is said to signify the many routs (or the Way) that the pilgrims take to get to the final destination (the tomb).
To learn more, the Cathedral of St. James has an informative website with great graphics: http://www.catedraldesantiago.es/