IDS 101: Crossroads of Religion and Culture: The Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage

This triptych comprises a cycle of twelve scenes from the life, miracles and martyrdom of St. James, who is buried at Santiago de Compostela.   
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maestro_della_leggenda_di_santa_godeleva,_miracolo_di_san_jacopo,_fiandre_1490_ca._01.jpg                                       

In the early 9th century, remains believed to be those of the apostle Saint James were discovered in Compostela, Galicia where a cathedral honoring Santiago became the destination of catholic pilgrims or religious travelers from all over Europe who followed various routes across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. In this colloquium we will explore the concept of pilgrimage itself, a spiritual journey involving not only individual religious experience but also complex religious, linguistic, cultural and social interchanges. We will examine in particular the interplay between change and continuity, as millions of diverse travelers wearing the traditional shell of the Jacobean pilgrim have followed the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James over the past 1200 years and have impacted both the route and pilgrimage culture surrounding it. Key questions to address include: what role did the Camino play in the medieval struggle between Muslims and Christians for dominance in the Iberian Peninsula? In what ways has the route and the infrastructure it necessitated shaped patterns of growth along it? To what extent has the Camino helped inform the construction of a Spanish national/ist identity? Finally, how have foreign pilgrims on the route contributed to Spain’s multicultural society, and in turn, how have their experiences been represented in literature, film and art up to today?