When the pilgrimage to Santiago first started, it was devised in part as a substitute for the pilgrimage to Bethlehem (occupied by the Moors) and as a way to populate with Christians the remaining portion of the Iberian Peninsula not occupied by the Moors. Much of the Christian goods were evacuated from the churches in the south of Spain. A good portion of the Christian artifacts ended up in the Oviedo Cathedral. So the word went out that "Whoever goes to Santiago and not to Oviedo, visits the servant (St. James) and not the master (Jesus)." Hence the pilgrimage first to Oviedo, then on to Santiago.
No comments:
Post a Comment