The Translation of St. James

Since the beginning of the Jacobean tradition years ago now in 1200 Spain professes a deep devotion to the Apostle James. This admiration is especially evident at times as we now occupies: the commemoration of the transfer (Translatio) to Galicia the remains of Zebedee. We must not forget that Santiago de Compostela, along with Rome and Jerusalem, one of the three great landmarks of Christianity. Today, in the XXI century, people from around the world flock as in the best times of pilgrimages in the Medioevo- to bow down to the grave of the only disciple of Jesus who, along with San Pedro de Roma, is buried in the Old Continent.

It is true that, today, the evangelizing force of the Apostle takes shape in a wide and varied range of human events, the more they all operate under the same force, a common spirituality that gives breath to the walker and full joy in the Holy goal .

Beside all these expressions of deep and historic religious and spiritual content, it comes on top of this Route Xacobea sea-river by the sea of ​​Arousa and the Ulla river, which aims primarily to contribute to better understanding and exaltation of Santiago Maior through a natural and ethnographic places of great value and interest.

Following the testimony and tradition, this route updates the passage of the apostolic ship that led the remains of Santiago from Jaffa, Palestine, until Iria Flavia, the current town of Padron.

This tradition was followed with fervor throughout the Christian world and came to take shape, along the ancient Jacobean history, in a varied and rich iconography that represents us the last voyage of the Apostle Santiago in the company of his disciples Athanasius and Theodore. They, led by an angel and guided by a star -according shown on the municipal coat of arms of the town of Padrón arrived at the coast of Galicia penetrating the sea of ​​Arousa and up the riverbed of the Ulla river, road de Compostela, where his remains are venerated today.

The voyage entering Galicia by the Atlantic waters of Spain -the largest estuary of Arousa , which is itself an ocean in miniature , followed by a splendid continues to rise through the channel of the Ulla to reach the lands of Iria . A stretch that offers pilgrims a place of unique beauty. The comeback upriver takes on a special significance , because this route traces a path of encounter with a glorious past. It is climbing a backbone between fertile margins, full of history and legends, in some salty water and then fluviales- -first also summarize the history of this land.

That minimum ship knew dodge the turbulence of a stormy sea , it is now a key symbol of Christianity . Every year, every December 30th , the compostelana Mitra recalls this tradition , an act that carries even a real offering.