The road to Santiago de Compostela is paved with Christian legends, which tell that St James the Elder journeyed to the Iberian peninsula to spread Christianity, before dying a martyr in Jerusalem, and being transported back to Spain. The twelfth apostle then appeared twice more on this earth – in the first instance, in the form of a star beckoning an old recluse to the site of his enshrined remains, and in the second, as a vision on a white horse, rallying Christians to battle against the Moors. In the context of the latter legend, our protagonist is known as Santiago Matamoro (or St. James the Moor slayer), and in first he is familiarly called, Santiago de Compostela (or St. James of the field star).

In the case of both, attempts by church officials to strengthen their position, both politically and financially, are perhaps the reality behind them. According to historians, St. James was probably never in Spain. Notwithstanding the fabrications, faithful pilgrims came from all reaches of life and from all over Europe came to worship and to donate to the shrine of a beloved saint.

Today, Santiago de Compostela remains one of the most charming and beautiful of Spain’s historic cities. Its many churches and shrines are a large part of the allure; the Cathedral is a grand and finely ornamented work of engineering. Considered amongst UNESCO’s great sites of world heritage, the city as a whole is laid out with a distinctive and unified architectural style. The joys of strolling amid the town’s stone walls and flagstone streets are well-known to visitors and locals alike.