Pilgrimage Past and Present:
El Camino de Santiago
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Authors
  • Gallery
  • Mapping
  • Book
  • Acknowledgments
  • Contact

July 28th, 2015

7/28/2015

 
By Group 4
Picture
Picture
Breathing, Crying, Blinking, Eating, Running, and walking are actions that come naturally to most people. It’s simple, something we don’t think about or consider on a daily basis. Yet, when everything around you is foreign, those things become precious. They are reassurances. You know how to breathe falling asleep. You can chew your food without a problem. The Camino was simply walking, but the way was precious and taught us many things.

During the final stretch, a few of our members went ahead of the group to find a place to meet up. On the way, we passed by the airport fence, which was littered with hundreds of wooden crosses. The sheer mass of humanity that passes by on the Camino affected us all.

We met up at small church and waited for the group to walk into Santiago together. After a couple of group photos next to a modern Camino sculpture, we began our final few kilometers into the city.

The Camino de Santiago, as stated in our blogs before hand, is a pilgrimage, a walk from one area to the Compostela. Such a simple and natural concept: walking. However, the pondering, struggling, and discovery in the trek are what make the ending so sweet. Upon arrival at the Compostela, when you hear the bagpipes playing and emerge from the tunnel, a sensation of victory soaks your soul. Everyone’s story of travel maybe different, but when you reach the main plaza, your triumph stands as one.

Our own completion was very moving. We limped and groaned into the city, keeping together as a group. As we moved through the tunnel, past the bagpipes, hands were clasped and raised into the air. Turning the corner out of the tunnel, the cathedral came into view, and was greeted with whoops of laughter and sighs of relief. The callings of other successful pilgrims cheer a weary heart. People are everywhere, taking pictures, hugging, celebrating the long journey’s end. It didn’t matter where they started from, what their situation was. Only that they had finished, and finished in glorious success. We had made it too. Our Camino was complete, and we did together.

Santa María de León Cathedral

7/25/2015

 
Picture
By Group 4
Picture
With 1,800 square meters of stained-glass windows, the Santa María de León Cathedral, León’s famous gothic cathedral, has been a personal favorite of ours. Built on a tenth-century foundation, the current gothic style church was begun in the early thirteenth century. 

A local woman —  who coincidentally had a role in the film The Way — told us an intriguing legend about the church. During the original construction of the cathedral, laborers worked during the day, but upon returning the next morning they would discover their previous days work was ruined. After days of frustration they discovered a giant mole was to blame for the destruction. Naturally, to fix the problem, the laborers set a massive bear trap in the cathedral and the mole was caught. After killing the mole, the locals took its skin and hung it at the door of San Juan. More recently, the skin was tested and proven to be turtle skin, but the legend is still a fantastic piece of folklore for the city of León.

Beyond this fanciful legend the church is replete with remarkable stories and images — including what appears to be a statue of Saint Luke with sunglasses! However the most striking feature of the church remains the stained glass. At every turn your eyes are drawn to these magnificent sights featuring stories from the Bible and depictions of prominent saints. Old Testament figures dominate the north wall with New Testament on the south wall. Due to Spain’s geographical position, the sun will shine continuously through the south windows. The metaphorical significance highlights Jesus’ arrival in the New Testament, becoming the savior of the world. The north windows stay dark to show the desire for a long-awaited messiah.

Picture
Another prominent stained glass feature is the rose window stationed at the western wall of the cathedral. This massive window displays the Virgin Mary at the center surrounded by other major religious figures. The window’s western position allows the light of the sunset into the cathedral each evening. 

The Santa Maria de León Cathedral is an almost perfect example of early Gothic style. The elegant lines and soaring windows of the Gothic style are free from the flourished details of the later Florid Gothic style, allowing us to truly appreciate the magnificent work of art that this church is. The peaceful and somber interior of the cathedral inspired us to ponder its intriguing history and architectural components. The Santa Maria de León Cathedral was definitely a favorite site and an unforgettable experience.
Picture

    Authors

    Group 1
    Los Compostelas

    Matthew Dent
    Corey Jones
    Sarah Kim

    John Douglas


    Group 2
    Los Peregrinos

    Natasha Rivera Cordero
    Jessica Harden
    Kaylah Jackson


    Group 3

    Las Vieiras
    Phillip C. Boan
    Kyle Muzelak
    Nick Norris
    Daniel Woodhouse


    Group 4
    Los Pasaportes

    Kaitlynn Helms

    Allison MacLean
    Terry Nobriga
    Annette Teague

    Contributors
    David Sheffler
    Ron Lukens-Bull
    Michael Boyles


    Archives

    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Burgos
    Cathedral
    Covarrubias
    El Camino De Santiago
    El Cid
    Finisterre
    Folk Festival
    Galicia
    Group 1
    Group 2
    Group 3
    Group 4
    Journey
    King Charles
    León
    Medieval Times
    Miraflores
    Pilgrimage
    Pilgrims
    Puente La Reina
    Pyrenees
    Queen Eleanor
    Queen Isabella
    Roncesvalles
    Santa María
    Santiago
    Santiago De Compostela
    Scallop Shell
    Song Of Roland
    Spain
    Stained Glass
    St. Jean De Pied Port
    Taberna Patillas
    University Of Burgos

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.