Renewed interest in pilgrimage (last 20 years)

[Joe & MJ]

In terms of renewed interest (i.e. 20th century) here's what I know:

Franco was "big" on the Santiago pilgrimage, as well as tourism, but didn't
see/promote Compostela as a tourist attraction. In fact he made much ado
about the yearly "ofrenda nacional" to the Cathedral. (Franco was a very
devote Catholic, and the Catholic church (with the exception of the Basque
region) was one of his strongest supporters. Franco was, if I remember
correctly, from El Ferrol, in Galicia. I have a collection of the special
edition "Holy Year" stamps which were produced under his government). So no,
the opening of the pilgrimage didn't come about because of Franco's death
and the opening of the Spanish democracy in 1976.

In truth, the impetus for increased pilgrimage in this century came not from
the spiritual side, but from research--and from Americans! The renewed
spiritual interest (a la Shirley MacClaine and Coehlo) is relative latecomer
to the popularity of walking the pilgrimage route.

In 1920, Georgiana Goddard King published a 3 volume work "The Way of St.
James" which told about her 3 years in Spain, and subsequent 7 years
studying the art and iconography of the Camino.
In 1923 Arthur Kingsley Porter produced a seminar 3 volume work "Art and
Iconography of the Pilgrimage Roads" another seminal book, published in
Boston.

In the 1930s, Walter Muir Whitehill, an American graduate student, produced
the first transcription of the Liber Sancti Jacobi (the only complete
edition until the facsimile produced in 1993).

As for the Spanish, Luis Vazquez de Parga, Jose Lacarra and Juan Uria Riu
produced the first generalized, well-researched history of the pilgrimage in
1948: Las peregrinaciones a Santiago de Compostela.

In the 50s and 60s Rene de la Coste Messeliere became the great promoter of
the pilgrimage route and the French influence through the Societe des Amis
du Chemin in Paris.

There was a concerted effort (under Franco) to revitalize the pilgrimage for
the 1965 Holy Year, and the Archicofradia counted 109,000 pilgrims to
Compostela in that year...but NOT walking pilgrims.

In 1957, another American, Walter Starkie, really started the renewed
interest in actually *walking* the Camino with his work, The Road to
Santiago.

I know that it was this work that inspired David Gitlitz to plan and take
his first group of students to walk the route in 1975. One of those students
was Linda Davidson, our listmaster. In 1979 Linda and David led another
group--which included moi. During the 70s there were only about 50-70
walking pilgrims in any given year. (They have continued to sponsor several
more groups; I sponsored one group in 1986).

Again within Spain, Elias Valina Sampedro, the priest of El Cebreiro and
prime mover to get the pallozas saved as historical museums kept records of
the hiking pilgrims in his tomes in Cebreiro during the 60s and 70s. He
began publishing a small newsletter "Peregrino" in 1985--which has now
became a slick full-color journal in 1987.

Also in 1987 the route was designated as the first "European Cultural
Itinerary"--pushing the European community and tourism primarily.

So there you have it. Thanks primarily to researchers, authors and
commercialism we have the pilgrimage as we know it today.
Maryjane

>
> To the question of increase during the last 20 years...
> It is also my understanding that the European Union dumped a lot of money
> into the Camino because of its historical importance in the development of
> Western Europe.  I also would imagine that the interest in the 80's would
> have a lot to do with the political changes in Spain from dictatorship to
> democracy (which happened around 1976) and a new more open attitude to
> foreigners that weren't just interested in the Costa del Sol and
> a Flamenco
> show.  Could be wrong though!
> Maria
>