2010 Marks Holy Year at Santiago

The Puerta Santa (Holy Door), which gives access to the Cathedral from the Plaza de la Quintana is opened on 31st December, 2009, the eve of each Holy Year, and walled up again on Dec 31, 2010. Every time, St James's day (25th July) falls on a Sunday, the cathedral declares a Holy or Jubilee Year. The next (after year 2010) Holy Year will be 2021. Pilgrims reaching Santiago during a Holy Year, and fulfilling the conditions for it, are granted a plenary indulgence. This means that you can get remission for all of your worldly sins. In observance of the Holy Year, the Botafumerio will be pulled every day at the Pilgrim Mass Enviado. The swinging Botafumeiro dispensing clouds of incense. A dome above the crossing contains the pulley mechanism to swing the "Botafumeiro", famous thurible. This thurible was created by the goldsmith José Losada in 1851. The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is the largest censer in the world, weighing 88. lbs and measuring 5'3" in height. It is normally on exhibition in the library of the cathedral, but during certain important religious high days it is attached to the pulley mechanism, filled with charcoal and incense.

Day 1, Sunday, September 19 - Depart from New York

Departure for your overnight flights to Madrid.

Day 2, Monday, September 20 - Arrive Madrid

You will be met upon arrival at Madrid Airport. After an orientation drive through Madrid, we’ll check in to our hotel, and have some time at leisure for exploring and enjoying this beautiful city. Dinner and overnight in Madrid.

Day 3, Tuesday, September 21 - Madrid - Sarria

After breakfast, we’ll depart from Madrid enroute to Sarria. Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning we will depart to Sarria. We will visit Villafranca del Bierzo, a town founded in the 11 C, where the Cluny Order had an important representation. We can enjoy the Collegiate Church of Santa María, built between the 13 and 16 C; the churches of Santiago (12 C) and San Nicolas, as well as the Agua Street, full of palaces and emblazoned houses. The Castle-Palace of the Marquisate is worthy of being visited. Later we will enter Galicia by Lugo, not far from Santiago. The first village in the region of Lugo along the Route is Cebreiro, with an altitude of 1,300 meters. A group of "pallozas" can be seen (Pre-Romanesque circular houses with straw roofs) and a beautiful Pre-Romanesque temple, from the 9-10 C, containing a Chalice, the Paten of "Santo Milagro" (Holy Miracle) and a precious Romanesque carving of Santa Maria la Real. At the end of the day we will arrive to Sarria. In this town, where Alfonso IX died in 1230, while making the pilgrimage, the old quarter retains a strong Medieval character. Dinner and overnight in Sarria.

Day 4, Wednesday, September 22 - Sarria - Portomarín (walking day, 21 kms)

After breakfast at our hotel we’ll obtain our Pilgrim’s Passport and we will start our walking pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. In the spirit of St James the Apostle we become authentic pilgrims journeying along an outer road (and the road within). Our walking trip will finish in Portomarin. The town, which dates back to the Roman Ages, and which was an important stop along the Route in the middle Ages. The old Portomarín lies beneath the waters of the dam built in 1962. Before flooding the town, many monuments were moved, stone by stone. Such was the case of the church-fortress of the Knights of San Juan of Jerusalem, who once ran the old hospital that lies beneath the waters of the Miño River, along with the old Medieval and Roman bridges. The municipality also has the church of San Nicolás, from the 13 C; the portal of the church of San Pedro, from 1182; the Count’s House, from the 16 C, and the Palace of Berbetoros, from the 17 C. Dinner and overnight at Portomarin.

Day 5, Thursday, September 23 - Portomarin - Palas de Rei (walking day, 24 kms)

After breakfast at our hotel we'll set off into the woods on our journey towards Palas de Rei, a once an important town in the Middle Ages. We’ll see the Royal Hospital- with the church of San Tirso, a Romanesque portal. On the hilly walk we'll continue through field and forest passing countless granaries, hórreos, and wayside crosses or cruceiros (usually depicting on one side Christ and the other the Virgin), both very characteristic of the Galician landscape. The evening will be at leisure. Optional visit to the Monastery of Vilar de Donas, the fine Romanesque temple that stands majestically is remarkable for its Gothic paintings from the 16 C, and the busts of the "donas" or ladies that founded the house and its central apse in the 14 C. The temple also treasures several sarcophagi of Knights of the Order of Santiago along with a stone retable that depicts the Eucharistic miracle of O Cebreiro. Dinner and overnight at Palas de Rei.

Day 6, Friday, September 24 - Palas de Rei - Arzua (walking in the morning, 28 kms)

After breakfast at our hotel, we will walk from Palas and ends up at the bustling small town of Arzua. Before we finish our day we will visit Melide. This town is crucial to the Route, because it is the place where the French and the Oviedo Routes converge. At the entrance to the town there is a crossroads from the 14 C, one of the oldest in Galicia. The present Parish Church was the former church of the Monastery of Sancti Spiritus. It contains stately sepulchers. Worthy of note are also the small chapel of San Roque, with its transept from the 14 C, and the Romanesque church of Santa María. Today we also pass from Galicia's Lugo province to Galicia's A Coruña province. A Medieval bridge leads pilgrims to Ribadiso, before arriving at Arzua, the next stop on our journey. Surrounded by beautiful scenery stands the Gothic Chapel of Magdalena, the only part of the old Augustinian monastery that remains. The little town is famous for its Galician cheese factories. Dinner and overnight in Arzua.

Day 7, Saturday, September 25 - Arzua - Arca do Pino/Rua (walking day, 20 kms)

After breakfast at our hotel, we'll continue our trek to Arca do Pino, the largest community before Santiago, and immerse ourselves in the fragrant eucalyptus groves. We'll picnic en route. After arrival in Arca, you can take a quiet walk around this village. The emotion is reflected in pilgrims’ faces, the tiredness accumulated during the pilgrimage not apparent. Many things are on pilgrim’s minds: the list of all the sights to see in Santiago, the visit to the Apostle, the intention to pick up the document that certifies that the Route to Santiago has been made. Optional visit to the grandiose Monastery of Sobrado, Galicia’s first Cistercian monastery and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Renovations in the 17th and 18th centuries embellish the façade, church and side chapel. Dinner and overnight in Arca do Pino.

Day 8 , Sunday, September 26 - Arca do Pino - Monte do Gozo - Santiago de Compostela (walking day, 20 kms)

After breakfast at our hotel, we'll set out in the morning air to make the last and final stage of our journey to reach the famed city of Santiago. En route we'll stop for our picnic on the Monte del Gozo (Mount Joy) from which the spires of the Cathedral are first visible. We will soon arrive at the Cathedral, the destination we have been yearning to reach for a long time. This architectural masterpiece is one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Spain. After arrival in the Cathedral square we shall say thanks to God for taking care of us during our pilgrimage. Afterward, we'll check into our hotel. Enjoy some free time later this afternoon before dinner and overnight in Santiago de Compostela.

Day 9, Monday, September 27 - Santiago de Compostela

After breakfast at our hotel we will visit and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of St. James, one of the finest examples of architecture in all of Europe. Access to the Doorway of Glory is via the Obradoiro façade. Once in its interior, we will be carried away by the emotions produced by the sight of so many extraordinary valuable works of art. Tradition invites us to perform some rites: The most important and meaningful one is the hug to the Saint, going under the main altar and visiting the crypt where the relics of St. James are preserved. Later on, the pagan rite of the bumps. It consists in reaching for a branch on the mullion, below the figure of the Sitting Apostle and, later making three wishes. On the other side of the column, there is another statue believed to impart wisdom and talents to whoever bumps his head against it. After lunch (on your own) we will continue our visit to the city of Santiago: Obradoiro Square, Fonseca Palace, Gelmirez Palace, Franco Street, etc. Evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Santiago de Compostela.

Day 10, Tuesday, September 28 - Departure from Santiago de Compostela

Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning we transfer to Santiago Airport for your return to New York.