The exhibition was first enjoyed last December at the Galician Centre of Contemporary Art (CGAC) in Santiago de Compostela, coinciding with this anniversary’s commemorative event.

Place: Exhibition Hall of the Antigo Cárcere Comarcal

Adresse: rúa da Madalena, 8. Sarria (Lugo)

Date: from February 1 to February 14, 2019

Organised by: Consellería de Cultura e Turismo, Xunta of Galicia

Colaboration with: Town Hall of Sarria

In particular, the daily pilgrim mass at 12 p.m. will be celebrated in the church of S. Francisco.

The church of Santa Maria Salome will host the celebration of the Eucharist with the following hours: 7.30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Monday to Sunday. On Saturdays at 6 p.m. as well and on Sundays, in addition to the above-mentioned celebrations, mass will be held at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m..
The parish church of La Corticela will hold its usual mass at 11 a.m..
Groups of pilgrims with different languages will be divided between the churches of S. Fructuoso, S. Fiz de Solovio, Santa María Salomé and the chapel at the Centro Internacional de Acogida al Peregrino (International Pilgrim Reception Centre), rúa Carretas, 33.

The main solemnities and celebrations, which will be indicated in due course, will be celebrated in the church of S. Martín Pinario ( Feast of the Apostle Santiago, Chrism Mass, S. Juan de Ávila…).

The Cathedral will remain open, therefore it will be accessible to worshippers, pilgrims and visitors, although the spaces in which work is being carried out will be restricted at all times. It will still be possible to perform the Embrace the Apostle rite in his niche and go down to the apostolic crypt. The Cathedral will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The only door that will remain open will be that of Platerías, with a dual use: entrance and exit, with the Pórtico Real also serving as an exit door. Access via Azabachería is reserved for the purposes and needs of the works.

The timeframe for this work is 12 months.

Source: Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

The exhibition was first enjoyed last December at the Galician Centre of Contemporary Art (CGAC) in Santiago de Compostela, coinciding with this anniversary’s commemorative event.

Place: Lugo Public Library. Lugo

Date: from January 15th to 31st of 2019

Organised by: Consellería de Cultura e Turismo, Xunta of Galicia

For the first time, our Autonomous Community had the opportunity to present to the French Jacobean associative movement the Galician management model around the Camino de Santiago, with a lecture by the director-manager of the Xacobeo, Rafael Sánchez, who attended on behalf of the Department of Culture and Tourism.

He presented to nearly 200 people, including representatives of associations from Spain, Belgium, England and Germany, the model of accommodation implemented in Galicia through the Public Network of Hostels of Xacobeo, as well as the role of associationism in the Galician road map, which is supported with a specific line of aid to promote their activities. He also delved into the work carried out for the maintenance of all the routes and the work of dissemination and outreach with a view to Xacobeo 2021.

First Jacobean association

The presence of Galicia in this meeting is included in the commitment of the Regional Government to strengthen ties with the Jacobean associationism, one of the objectives of the Master Plan of the Camino de Santiago. This also highlights France’s historical role in the development of the Jacobean phenomenon in Europe, as it has been one of the main driving forces behind the reactivation of the Camino de Santiago since the 1950s, when the first Jacobean association was created in Paris, the Société Française des Amis de St. Jacques de Compostelle.

On 10 November 2016, while opening up a wall in the chamber located in the lower part of the cathedral bell tower in order to remove the image by Master Mateo buried in the same area and discovered a few days earlier, when the perpend stones that made up the wall were removed, a fragment of a male figure was found. It had been built into the wall, with the back being reused as construction material.

Based on its characteristics, the piece has been ascribed to the so-called Master of the Wet Drapery, an enigmatic artist whose workshop was active in the cathedral around 1070. The cathedral museum contains three other pieces attributed to the same artist or workshop. All of them are linked by one common feature, the folds and treatment of the clothing, clearly influenced by classical models. The most immediate parallel is contemporary Burgundian work.

Following the discovery, the piece was thoroughly cleaned to remove the mortar attached to it. This work was carried out by the restoration department of the Cathedral Foundation. This prepared the piece, which still requires a more comprehensive restoration, to form part of The Power of the Past: 150 years of archaeology in Spain, an exhibition opening this October.

After its presentation, the piece will be on public view in the Grammarians’ Hall at Pazo de Xelmírez until 11 September, when it will travel to Madrid for the aforementioned exhibition. When the show closes, it will be placed on permanent display at the Santiago Cathedral Museum, which will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2018.

Source: Xunta de Galicia

Dr. Robert Georg Plötz was born in Nürnberg on 18 July 1942. He studied German Studies, History, Philosophy, Ethnology and Sports Studies at the University of Würzburg (1963-1969). He worked as assistant professor in the Chair of German Studies and Ethnology at the same university.

From 1971 to 1977 he held the position of Assistant Professor of German at the University of Oviedo (Asturias). From 1979 to 2007 he held the position of Director of Niederrheinisches Museum für Volkskunde und Kulturgeschichte in Kevelaer (Lower Rhine).

From 2008 to 2013 he worked as Teaching Professor of the History of Franconia (Chair of Medieval History) at the University of Würzburg. He participated in many summer courses and conferences in Europe and the USA.

He has many publications on the history of culture and popular traditions, but above all studies on pilgrims and pilgrimages. He was president of the Deutsche St. Jakobus-Gesellschaft (1987-2012) for 25 years.

In 1999 he was awarded the Gold Medal from the city of Santiago de Compostela, in 2001 the Silver Medal of Galicia from the Government of Galicia, and in 2004 the Merit Cross of Germany. From its foundation he was member of the International Committee of Experts of the Way of Saint James.

Pilgrim and supporter of the associative movement.

His contribution to the world of research into the Way of Saint James and the Jacobean pilgrimage, specifically in Germany but also in many other places, sets a benchmark. His research was combined with his enjoyment of being a pilgrim and his support for the Way of Saint James associative movement.

The Government of Galicia wishes to send its condolences to his relatives and friends, also expressing its appreciation for his long career and important contribution to the revitalisation of the Way of Saint James.

First of all, we have to decide how we are going to do it: on foot, on horseback, by bicycle… Usually pilgrims choose to do it on foot, because it does not require as much physical preparation as doing it by bicycle. And doing it on horseback makes us care not only about our maintenance but also on the animals’.That’s the reason why walking is the easiest way for most.

Once we decide how we are going to do it, we must make another decision regarding which route we are going to choose. It’s important to look for information about the  routes available and their difficulty level.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to know the time available. Based on this we should decide the number of stages and days we want to invest, without getting too tired. The minimum required to get to Santiago are 100 kilometres, whether we do it walking or riding, and 200 kilometres if we choose to do it by bicycle.

It is also important to decide what season of the year we want to start. Depending on it we will need to pick specific clothes and belongings.

You must also request the pilgrim credential at the starting point, as well as seal it when beginning the route. On each stops of the Way, this document must be sealed. Only having this credential you are allowed to enter in public shelters and, moreover, it is the only document that accredits the arrival to Santiago and the distance you have done. It is the only way to receive your Compostela at end of the journey.

We must also have in mind our age and our physical condition. Not only a medical review is needed before starting, but also to be informed about points of assistance in case we would need them.

Finally, it’s important to be well informed before starting. Join internet, where you will find lots of tricks and tips. Also Brotherhoods and Associations of pilgrims can help us resolving our doubts and advise us when facing the Way.

Once our trip is planned, we are ready to start the adventure.

See you on the Way!

First of all, we must be prepared physical and mentally, because the Way implies a challenge and we are not always used to walk a lot of kilometres in consecutive days. It is not about doing a lot of sport the previous week; it is about train constantly during the previous six or eight weeks to get out body and our mind used to the wear that walking continually implies. Moreover, it is recommendable to start the training with the shoes that we are going to use for the trip and, at least on the previous week, do the same with the backpack that we will to carry to get used to the weight.

It is also important to plan when we want to do the Way. Most of the pilgrims think that spring and early autumn are the best seasons, because in summer the weather conditions can overwhelm us and in winter some hostels close their doors.

In respect of the adequate shoes to walk, most common is to use trekking boots, which insolate cold and hold firmly our ankles, and if we travel in the hottest months, it is recommendable to use sneakers, because they avoid the heat in our feet. We also should use seamless socks and made with fibre, and never use cotton socks, because they get wet easily and can produce blisters.

Another important thing is our backpack, which should not exceed 10% of our weight. We also should carry indispensable things only, and the backpack should have holding points to our waist and not only carry the weight over our shoulders.

The next step is to plan the stages of the St. James Way according to our rhythm and decide how many stages we want to do and how many kilometres we want to walk. It is important to adapt the distance of every stage to our physical conditions. A good idea is to start the Way doing short distances and make increases to reach an average of 20 or 25 kilometres per day. And if we feel bad or with physical disturbances, the best choice is to have a break or devote a whole day to our recovery in order to avoid injuries.

At last, it is recommendable to look for information about hostels, camping and hotels of the Way. In the hostels it will be required do show our pilgrim credential to stay overnight and it is usually not allow to book a room previously, and it is because of this that we should try to be informed about different options to sleep.

Doing St. James Way is a great experience, not only because of reaching Santiago, but also because of the travel, so every advice will help us and will make our trip unforgettable.