Discussion of the Camino de santiago in World Art

11/19/2019

In my World Art class we are learning about Romanesque Art (11th & 12th century European art, based mainly in France), and I was surprised to find that we were going to discuss Santiago de compostela and the camino. During the 11th century, the camino became a popular site for christian pilgrimages. The name of the Cathedral of Saint James at Santiago comes from an apostle named James (later a saint) who is known for christianizing the people of Iberia or modern-day Spain. According to Dr. Erhardt, people mainly went on pilgrimages to make amends for sins and would receive an indulgence once they completed the journey. An indulgence is defined as: a token that the church would offer to pilgrims, that would forgive you of all sins when you go to heaven. According to Dr. Erhardt, who actually walked the camino for a week with peers, the camino is unique because it is geographically marked by churches that show romanesque architecture. The Cathedral of Saint James in particular is constructed of stone and features unique rounded vaults and portal sculpture. Learning about the camino in world art and sacred comm. has broadened my interest in the trail and its history. 

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