Camino De Santiago Trail: 08 Pulchra Leonina By Steven Garcia, Joel Anderson, 2023
- Camino De Santiago Trail: 08 Pulchra Leonina
The Camino de Santiago is more than just one of the longest hiking trails in the world, one that attracts people from all across the planet to hike it. The Camino (“Path” in Spanish) is also a religious pilgrimage. It’s also been called the Way of St. James, as it is a network of pilgrimage paths that all lead to the tomb of the apostle James in Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. The Camino is made up of several different paths, many that travel across Spain and some that begin in France. In fact, the most frequently traveled route is the Camino Francés, which stretches 774 km (nearly 500 miles) from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago in Spain. When describing the Camino, it’s best to use an analogy. Because the trail system is actually a huge network of trails that all lead to one central point, it’s easily imagined as a network of creeks that lead into streams, which lead into rivers, which eventually all come together in one large canal that empties into a huge lake or ocean (Santiago). Another aspect that makes the Camino unique is just how old it is. Unlike modern hiking trails that may be just a few decades old, the Camino has been in use since the middle ages. Young and old, from backgrounds, ethnicities, and faiths across the planet, many travelers come to the Camino and have spiritual experiences along the way as they meet other pilgrims, attend masses in churches, monasteries, and cathedrals, and enjoy the hospitality and infrastructure provided for pilgrims over many centuries. Anderson Design Group created a series of vintage-styled posters and travel art celebrating the Camino de Santiago, original illustrations and vintage world travel art that pay tribute to the deep history and spiritual significance of the Camino de Santiago. Each of these renditions are available as posters, prints, mini canvases, postcards, notecards, and metal signs. This eighth poster in this series depicts Santa María de León Cathedral, also called The House of Light or the Pulchra Leonina. This Catholic temple is dedicated to Virgin Mary. It was the first Spanish monument to be designated as such in 1844. For the ultimate guide to the Camino de Santiago, visit the website Stingy Nomads.