The Scholarly Pilgrim - History of the Camino de Santiago

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Latest Episodes:

S2 E5 - Medieval Santiago de Compostela's Rise from the Ashes Dec 31, 2024

Santiago de Compostela, home to the shrine of St James, was razed to the ground by a Muslim army at the end of the 10th century. At that time, pilgrim traffic on the Camino de Santiago was starting to grow, and church leaders, monarchs, and locals no doubt wondered whether the community would ever recover. This episode describes key events and people that shaped the rebuilding and growth of Compostela in the 11th and 12th centuries and what pilgrims to the city and shrine might have encountered at that time.

S2 E4 - Dangers on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Sep 20, 2024

This episode explores some of the perils faced by medieval pilgrims, including those related to the natural environment and infectious diseases, as well as encounters with thieves, aggressive toll collectors, and unscrupulous innkeepers. It also describes some of the efforts of monarchs and Church leaders to protect pilgrims on the Camino.

S2 E3 - Hospitals on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Jul 16, 2024

Pilgrims traveling on the Camino de Santiago today pass by the ruins of medieval hospitals, or reminders of them in historical markers or the names of towns. Hospitals played a key role in the Camino’s devotional infrastructure which helped increase the accessibility and popularity of the pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. This episode will explore the religious and political landscape that contributed to the development of a chain of hospitals along the Camino. It will also discuss the groups that patronized hospitals and the types of services pilgrims could have expected to receive.

S2 E2 - Women on the Medieval Camino de Santiago May 03, 2024

Women now make up just over half of the pilgrims traveling into Santiago de Compostela. But in the Middle Ages, female pilgrims would have been in the minority, and their experiences would have been profoundly different than those traveling along the Camino de Santiago today. This episode explores the moral and social environment of medieval Europe and how it impacted women and their ability to embark on long-distance pilgrimages. It then discusses medieval women who traveled to the shrine of St James in Compostela as well as others who became important supporters of the pilgrimage.

S2 E1 – The Legend of Santiago Matamoros on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Feb 23, 2024

This episode discusses how the image of St James was transformed into a knight leading Christian military efforts against the Muslims in Spain. It will explore the role of Compostela’s cathedral chapter in creating and promoting this new image and discuss how the shrine benefited politically and economically from the association. It will further show how the legend of the so-called Santiago Matamoros became a symbol of Spanish identity and colonizing power.

S1 E11 - Season 1 Recap: Golden Age of the Camino de Santiago Nov 20, 2023

This episode provides a recap of the ten episodes in Season 1. It discusses the Camino de Santiago’s origins and patrons, pilgrim motivations, events and trends that contributed to its exploding popularity, and its impact on the people who lived along the pilgrim roads in the 12th century, the golden age of the pilgrimage.

S1 E10 - Jewish Communities on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Sep 26, 2023

This episode discusses the Jews who lived in pilgrim towns along the medieval Camino de Santiago. It will explore the origins of Jewish communities, the role they played in the pilgrimage’s devotional infrastructure and the nature of their interactions with neighboring Christians. It will also discuss how Jews were viewed by monarchs and Church elites, and the issues which contributed to their expulsion from Spain.

S1 E9 - Franks and Native Spaniards on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Aug 24, 2023

This episode discusses the burgos of medieval Pamplona as a means to explore the complex state of relations between Franks and native people in pilgrim towns along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. It will also explain how tension between these groups was enflamed by the notion of Frankish cultural superiority which was propagated through stories about Charlemagne and native Spaniards.

S1 E8 - Medieval Guilds of Compostela and Camino de Santiago Jul 19, 2023

This episode will explore the development of influential guilds in Santiago de Compostela that allowed merchants and artisans to significantly advance their economic and spiritual interests. It will also discuss how these guilds helped tradespeople and the shrine of St James to overcome the moral stigma from their association with money while dramatically enhancing the infrastructure and appeal of the Camino de Santiago.

S1 E7 - Templars and Hospitallers on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Jun 16, 2023

This episode will explore the roles played by the Templars and Hospitallers along the medieval Camino de Santiago. In addition to providing security and hospitality these military orders cared for the spiritual wellbeing of pilgrims and helped facilitate the movement of wealth along the pilgrim roads. Legends and mysteries surrounding the Templars will also be discussed.

S1 E6 - The Role of Money on the Medieval Camino de Santiago May 12, 2023

This episode attempts to unravel a mystery surrounding a group of minters found on the twelfth-century façade of the church of Santiago in the pilgrim town of Carrión. The complex role of money on the medieval Camino de Santiago will be explored. What message did the sculptures on the façade send to those who handled money along the Camino?

S1 E5 - Urban Revolts on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Apr 07, 2023

As pilgrim traffic started to boom in the 12th century, merchants and artisans living along the Camino de Santiago became wealthy and sought a greater say in the administration of towns and markets. Simmering tension between townspeople and local lords, including abbots and bishops, sometimes exploded into chaotic and violent rebellions. This episode will discuss events surrounding urban revolts in the pilgrim towns of Sahagún and Santiago de Compostela in the early 12th century.

S1 E4 - The Rise of Pilgrim Towns on the Medieval Camino de Santiago Mar 10, 2023

This episode focuses on the second half of the 11th century, the pivotal period that set the stage for a boom in pilgrim traffic in the 12th century, the golden age of the Camino de Santiago. It will discuss changing power dynamics in Spain which led to an increasing emphasis on the pilgrimage. It will then show how the monarchs developed or repopulated a chain of towns along the Camino that would facilitate the movement of large numbers of foreign pilgrims and merchants.

S1 E3 - Early Days of Compostela and Camino de Santiago Feb 10, 2023

This episode will discuss how the shrine of St James, town of Compostela and the Camino de Santiago started to evolve after the supposed discovery of the tomb of St James in the first half of the 9th c. It will also explain how increasing wealth of the shrine led it to become a target of Viking and Muslim raiders. It will further show how early royal patrons increased the prestige of the shrine while developing and protecting the initial pilgrimage route.

S1 E2 - Medieval Motivations for Embarking on Camino de Santiago Jan 10, 2023

What inspired medieval pilgrims to leave their homes and undertake the long and perilous journey to Santiago de Compostela, particularly during the twelfth century, the golden age of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage? This episode will discuss these motivating factors including salvation and miracles. It will also explain Church expectations about the moral standards that pilgrims were expected to follow. In doing so, it will shed light on broader medieval attitudes concerning spirituality.

S1 E1 - Origin Legends of Camino de Santiago Dec 19, 2022

This episode discusses legends that describe how the bodily remains of St James made their way to Spain from the Holy Land and how they were eventually discovered hundreds of years later. It also explains how the church in Santiago de Compostela communicated and reinforced these stories to support the cult of St James, particularly during the twelfth century, the golden age of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.

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