After the unveiling of the milestone, the commissioner participated in a meeting on the Camino de Santiago and the Xacobeo 2021, which included speeches by professor and chairman of the International Committee of Experts on the Way, Paolo Caucci von Saucken, and doctor and professor, Lucia Gay, among other specialists in the Jacobean pilgrimages.

In addition to bringing both areas closer to each other, this institutional trip allowed various matters to be discussed, such as the preparations of various actions to promote the Way of Saint James in Pistoia, a city that, during the next Compostela Holy Year, will have the papal privilege of opening a Puerta Santa. Pistoia is the only city in the world, other than Santiago de Compostela, that has had a genuine relic of St. James the Apostle.

This exhibition is part of the presentation in Krakow of the Xacobeo 2021 programme and on the day of the opening there will be a cycle of lectures given by Franciszek Mróz. Pedagogical University of Kraków, Instytut Geografii, Faculty Member, titeld Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela by Poles. Past and Present, and Francisco Singul, historian and head of the Department of Jacobean Culture of Xacobeo-Xunta de Galicia (Galician regional government), entitled Camino de Santiago. Worldview and culture.

Today the experience of the pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela allows the pilgrim to get to know themselves, but also other pilgrims, travel companions, the local population and the spectacular setting of a universal and open Camino that has always been understood as a sacred space. At the end of this physical and spiritual adventure, the encounter with the city of Santiago and its cathedral is topped off with an intimate visit to the Tomb of the Apostle James the Greater and the image of the altar. The suggestion of supplementing the Camino with a trip to the European Finisterra (Cape Finisterre) is fundamental to understanding the mentality of medieval pilgrims, a place of great significance usually visited after you have completed the experience of the Camino in the sanctuary of Compostela.

Location: Cervantes Institute in Krakow
Address: Kanonicza, 12. Krakow
Dates: from 29 October to 20 November
Opening times: From Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 19:30 and Friday from 9:00 to 15:00.
Organisers: Xacobeo 2021. Galicia Tourism. Xunta de Galicia
In collaboration with: Cervantes Institute in Krakow. Spanish Embassy in Warsaw.

In the case of the Council of Europe, the institution was recognised for its key role in publicising, promoting and raising awareness of the Jacobean Route and the values associated with it. In fact, Feijóo stated, the institution declared the Way to be the first Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in 1987 and promoted the Jacobean values as common European heritage.

The person in charge of collecting the prize from the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation was the General Secretary of the European Council, Thorbjørn Jagland, maximum representative of the European Cultural Routes.

The commissioner of Xacobeo 21, Cecilia Pereira, gave a thanking speech on behalf of the European Cultural Routes.

Throughout the ceremony, the Regional Minister stressed that the stone element installed in the heart of the European Union symbolises the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago, which is “the first germ that gave rise to the unity of Europe”. This milestone will share space at the entrance to the European Parliament with a piece of the fallen Berlin Wall.

The milestone installed in the access to the European Parliament contains the main symbols of the Way: the shell, one of the oldest and most representative of the Jacobean Route; the yellow arrow, which indicates the correct direction, and the kilometric point that indicates the distance of 1,318 kilometers to the Cathedral of Santiago.

Date: 27 november 2018

Organize: Council of Europe

In cooperation with: Secretariat of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe

PROGRAM

General information:

The length of the trip – seven days;
Total distance – about 200 km;
The distance of one day trip – 25-30 km;
The beginning of the trip – Pazaislis monastery (T. Masiulio str. 31, Kaunas);
Arriving to the starting point – May 27 from 5 till 9 p.m. Pazaislis monastery (T. Masiulio str. 31, Kaunas);
A final registration, short instruction, passports of pilgrims and maps will be given.
End of the trip – June 2 (Lazdijai central square).

Places of accommodation:

Dauksiagire (Pakuonis), Prienai, Punia, Alytus, Miroslavas, Meteliai, Lazdijai.
The night before the trip the pilgrims can spent in Pazaislis monastery recollection centre or in a hotel Baltos bures (R.Kalantos str. 124, Kaunas).
Registration – it’s compulsory to register filling the special registration form.
The maximum number is 50 people because of sleeping places. The participants register individually. Till May 15 are registered only these pilgrim’s who are going to walk for seven days. From May 16, if there are places, other participants will be registered who want to go only several days. This is the registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMDSdS5cz6SVYZedEfxqx-3Z_Gt4OIQZWjyYTccz0NW4pnPg/viewform

Preliminary trip budget for 1 person:

Accommodation for one night: 8-12 €/person.
Food : supper+ breakfast(organized) 8-10 €/person.

The places where the supper will not be served catering will be introduced.
There aren’t any payment in advance, the money is given to the owners of particular service.
The end of the trip June 2, Lazdijai. You will appear at the festival of Lazdijai town “Border fiesta”
https://www.facebook.com/events/1192836944179813/
Detailed information of the trip will be sent to everybody who registered by email.

The organizes and partners of the event:

Camino Lituano Community
The Association of municipalities of St. James ways in Lithuania
The Association of the friends of St. James ways in Lithuania
Municipalities of Alytus city and region, Lazdijai region, Birstonas region, Prienai region, Kaunas city and region.

All information about route and maps you can find : www.caminolituano.com and https://www.facebook.com/Camino.lt/ Our contacts: camino.lituano@gmail.com

The award ceremony, held at the House of European History, was presided over by Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, on what was a symbolic day for the Way of St. James, coinciding as it did with the end of the commemorative programme for the 30th anniversary of its declaration as the First European Cultural Route. Over the last few months, various initiatives have been run to celebrate this anniversary and reflect on its integrating values.

Rafael Sánchez, head of S. A. de Xestión do Plan Xacobeo, collected the award together with Almudena Hospido, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation at the University of Santiago de Compostela, and Tomás Gómez-Acebo, Vice-Rector for Students at the University of Navarra.

The Aquí-Europa Vocento Awards seek to promote and recognise commendable actions aligned with the ideology and spirit of the European Union and that promote the unity and integration of the continental project. The Way of St. James has obtained this distinction as a cultural initiative. In addition, other awards were given in the fields of institution/personality, company, communicator and country.

The Way of St. James and Pilgrimages Department of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), in collaboration with the Compostela Group of Universities, is organizing an international seminar titled The Way of St. James and Europe, to be held 23–25 October. The event is part of the activities programme created by the Xunta de Galicia to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Santiago de Compostela Declaration, which designated the Way of St. James as the first European Cultural Route.

This seminar, interdisciplinary and international, is addressed to all those interested in the Camino de Santiago and Europe.

The event will comprise three days of lectures and debates discussing legal, social and cultural aspects of the Way of St. James and Europe.

The seminar is being organized under the direction of Dr. Domingo Luis González Lopo, director of the Way of St. James and Pilgrimages Department at the USC, and Dr. María Teresa Carballeira Rivera, executive secretary of the Compostela Group of Universities.

The seminar’s scientific committee is made up of:

• Dr. Adeline Rucquoi. Co-director of the Way of St. James and Pilgrimages Department.
• Dr. Segundo López. Co-director of the Way of St. James and Pilgrimages Department.
• Dr. Marek Kręglewski. President of the Compostela Group of Universities.
• Miguel Vázquez Taín. Professor of art history at the USC.
• Marta Cendón. Associate professor of art history at the USC.

Free registration

Grant application period open until 10 October.

MORE INFORMATION

In the municipal government category, the award went to the Melide Town Council (A Coruña) for its work on beautifying and enhancing the section of the Way of St. James that passes through the town, signage for natural and heritage resources, and cleaning up sections of the route.

In the category intended to recognize initiatives and actions promoted by Friends of the Way of St. James associations, the award was given to the Spanish Federation of Friends of the Camino de Santiago Associations, which has been working for over 25 years to promote gatherings and congresses, as well as coordinating an ongoing hostel volunteer programme; and the Lugo Friends of the Camino de Santiago Association, which has done significant work in our community.

In the third category, the Camino de Santiago Awards recognize the Tui company Ideas Peregrinas, which offers a hostel and a pilgrim space; and RedEmprendia for the Spin Way initiative, which involves students from various countries.

Lastly, there is a fourth category recognizing activities of an academic, research or educational nature. In this case, the winners were the Department of the Way of St. James at the University of Torun (Poland) and A Merced School in Sarria (Lugo).