The road to salvation At Santiago di Compostella, in the northwestern corner of the Iberian peninsula, is the tomb of Santiago or St. James. The marble sarcophagus is decorated with celestial candles.
Angels keep constant vigil.
No wonder that, along with Rome and Jerusalem itself, Santiago was right up there on the list of best pilgrimages of 999. People of all stations would make the long overland trek starting perhaps in Paris or Chartres, and winding slowly through Tours, Bordeaux, and Pamplona to Leon. It was a tough journey, across the Pyrenees and through the wild frontier of Spain. The Kings of Leon successfully held back the Muslims, acting as a defence for the Christian kingdoms of Navarre and Aragon. But the infidel was close and that would have added spice to the undertaking.