The pilgrimage to the tomb of the apostle St. James is a tradition that goes back centuries. Millions of pilgrims from around the world have walked the famous route, and some experts say that St. Francis of Assisi did as well some 800 years ago.
The Italian saint would have completed the pilgrimage around 1214, shortly before attending the Fourth Lateran Council, starting from Pamplona and joining the route that begins in France.
FR. FRANCISCO J. CASTRO
Author, “Santiago on the road”
“The oral traditions that circulate around the north of Spain are very interesting. We know that the first time it appears in writing is in a book that is very famous in Italy, Dei Fioretti, Little Flowers of St. Francis and his followers, which is possibly dated back to the 14th century.”
Many legends surround his pilgrimage on the Camino, such as one which says he left a stick in the ground to sleep and woke up to find it as a fully grown mulberry tree. Although the mystery remains solved, the thought that St. Francis could have embarked on this historic route makes it all the more fascinating.
TR:JM
