The Saint's sculpture in "Capilla de Santiago".

According to tradition, the martyred body of James the Apostle was placed by two of his disciples in a stone boat, which set sail through the Mediterranean Sea and reached the Galician coast, where the body was secretly buried because of persecutions.

In 829 b.C, in the reign of Alfonso XII of Asturias, the bishop Teodomiro, discovered a sepulchre, which he identified as James's grave, and soon it was recognised as such in Christendom.

The amazing story, the lack of clarifying news from the Oriental sources, and all the questions that this story brings up, have worried researchers, who have been attentive to verify the thousand year old historical tradition. But there is no doubt, that Europe started its pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela to venerate and prostrate themselves before one of the apostles who had received the message of the Revelation directly from Jesus Christ. Only Rome and Jerusalem kept relics of this importance.

"A pilgrim is someone who goes to Compostela", and the pilgrimage implies a way full of sacrifices and many difficulties, in which the walker reflects, does penance, finds himself, prays, and everything culminates in the "Monte del Gozo", in front of the Church where his remains are venerated.