The discovery of the Tomb of the Apostle St. James the Greater at the beginning of the IXth century soon brought about a stream of travellers making the pilgrimage to the site, which is today the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela. Over the centuries, the Way of St. James has given rise to an extraordinary spiritual, cultural and social vitality. Thanks to the existence of the Way, the first network of assistance in Europe came into being and monasteries, cathedrals and new urban centres were founded.
Due to the encounter on the Way of peoples of such diverse backgrounds, a culture was born, based on the open exchange of ideas and artistic and social trends, in addition to a socio-economic driving force which boosted the development of a number of areas in Europe, especially during the Middle Ages. For this reason, it was declared the First European Cultural Route by the European Council.

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