Approaching the Camino de Santiago as the main theme in these reflections, without having walked it personally, means sharing the motivation that leads me to reflect on it and make it the centerpiece of my meditation.
I have never walked the Camino; I have never felt the emotion of arriving in Santiago. My body has not endured the rigor and asceticism of walking—under sun or rain—along millennia-old paths. Neither have I heard firsthand the stories that move people from all over the world to undertake the Camino. Nevertheless, from a young age I have observed men and women with backpacks, leaning on their walking sticks, passing through my town of Astorga to begin the stretch of the Camino that leaves La Maragatería and ascends to El Bierzo. I know a teenager who spends most of his summers guiding pilgrims to the hermitage of his village—an exquisite jewel of Romanesque art nestled among mountains and forests. I see in my streets how people go above and beyond to answer the pilgrims’ questions. I have been awed by the pilgrims’ marvel at the beauty of the white stone and the play of multicolored light inside and outside León Cathedral. I have been moved by the reverent, prayerful silence of pilgrims before the Body of Christ during Mass at the Royal Basilica of San Isidoro in León. Therefore, I wish to write about the Camino through two words: hospitality and beauty, shaped by the unfolding of History.
“Oh, most worthy and most holy Apostle, golden refulgent head of Hispania, powerful defender and most special patron—mercifully assist your entrusted flock.” These verses belong to an Asturian hymn O Dei Verbum dating from the late 8ᵗʰ century. It attests that Santiago—our patron saint—is deeply present in our history, recognized as both protector and patron.
The Camino is a place—or rather, a series of places—where the Path of Beauty can draw the pilgrim closer to faith by facilitating an encounter with Christ. Although today some pilgrims arrive for non‑religious reasons, it is not pretentious to say that the Camino abounds in places that speak of creation, nature, and humanity’s calling to praise God—through cathedrals, churches, monasteries, basilicas, or tiny hermitages. We cannot ignore how aesthetic experience can foster a deeper understanding of divine revelation, bearing in mind that beauty is a path to God—our first Truth and supreme Good. Beauty possesses an attractive power that inspires awe; it can help overcome indifference and skepticism. Faced with any work of art made by human hands, one may ask: What is the meaning of life? Faced with the beauty of a sunrise, the pilgrim’s heart may wonder: On what path am I? For what purpose do I seek to reach Santiago?
Pilgrims from around the world find themselves far from home. Those who walk toward Santiago and cross the Pórtico de la Gloria are a powerful metaphor for humanity’s journey on earth—walking with longing toward the heavenly dwelling, toward resting in God in the house of the Lord forever. Therefore: “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2). The Camino reflects—and has historically embodied—hospitality. Hospitality involves attention to strangers, foreigners, and the unknown. It is not exclusive to Christianity and is shared by various religions and cultures. This virtue has not been forgotten along the Camino. From the 11ᵗʰ century onward, hospitals and pilgrim-hostels were established to offer shelter, protection, and care to travelers. Some had priests who spoke multiple languages to administer sacraments to the dying. Hospitality is the staff that helps pilgrims overcome geographical and climatic hardships.
I am proud to recall the history of the Jacobean route. In Finis Terrae, Compostela became a pilgrimage destination. The Holy Places began facing grave security threats due to the rise of Islam and its eventual domination of the Near East. In the 9ᵗʰ century, the tomb of Saint James became a new pilgrimage site for Christians. Santiago joined Jerusalem and Rome as a holy destination.
“Santiago and forward, Spain!” was the battle cry invoked by Spanish troops in centuries past. I offer it here to indicate that today the name of our beloved patron does not close us within our own boundaries in the face of adversity. Invoking Santiago and arriving before him opens Spain to the world—the Camino de Santiago is now a World Heritage site. May Hospitality and Beauty, embodied along the Camino de Santiago, remain—yet more so now—two words full of meaning for our days, which so urgently need peace and fraternity.
Ana Alonso RA Province of Spain
[1]https://xacopedia.com/O_Dei_verbum. Website accessed June 27, 2025.
[2]http://www.cultura.va/content/cultura/es/pub/documenti/ViaPulchritudinis.html. Website accessed June 26, 2025.
[3]Cavero Domínguez, Gregoria. University of León. “Hospitality: Sheltering and Protecting.” P. 2. I am grateful to Goyita (Gregoria) for her ideas and materials for writing this text.