From the end of the first millennium, when pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela first began, The Way of St James became one of the three great pilgrimages in the Christian world – along with those to Rome and Jerusalem. Over the centuries, nine major routes developed, from The Netherlands, Denmark and Gdansk in Poland to the north, from Hungary, Austria, Croatia and two from Bari in Italy in the east, and from Lisbon in the south. Except for the Portugeses route, most of the nine converged at Saint-Palais in south-western France before crossing the Pyrenees via the Col de Roncevaux. The two Italian routes crossed the Pyrenees at the more easterly Col du Somport, before joining the others at Puenta la Reina for the final camino-frances leg to Santiago de Compostela. With the major routes from the distant parts of Europe converging on Puenta la Reina and then on to Santiago de Compostela, a birds-eye view of the routes was akin to the ridges on a scallop shell and, in fact, in French, scallops are known as coquilles St Jacques. This connection also led to the practice of the pilgrims carrying a scallop shell as a symbol of their travels.

   The travellers made the pilgrimage for a variety of reasons – for expiation of major sins, to earn church indulgences (which still occurs today), and merely to honour Christ and express their faith. To accommodate the mass of pilgrims, inns and hospices developed along the ways and protection from brigands and bandits was assured for the pilgrims, all of whom were under the patronage of the Virgin Mary. The height of the pilgrimages occurred in Medieval times but then declined as such activities became less prevalent. In the late 2oth century, however, shortened versions of the routes brought a revival to the extent that tens of thousands of people are now making the journey each year. One of the most popular routes today is from St Jean Pied de Port, just south-west of Saint-Palais. Although a shortened version, it is still a healthy 800 kilometres! The original routes were over 2,000 kilometres and would have taken well over a year to complete.