Historia del Camino Inglés
The English Way owes its name to the nationality of the merchants who came by sea to sell their products in Galician markets, particularly in Ferrol, A Coruña, Ribadeo, and Viveiro. These merchants, the majority of whom were either English, Irish, Scottish, or Flemish, (although there were also some from Scandinavian countries), initially came to Galicia not to visit Santiago, but to sell product. Pilgrimages through Galicia began in the 12th century when Templars and Crusaders who were visiting the Sacred Land started visiting Santiago with the intention of asking the Apostle to bless their voyages. This became a common custom among knights and kings across Europe, such as Norwegian King Sirgud Jorsalafar in 1108, Saint Reginald III in 1151, and the Icelandic monk Nicolas Bergsson, who, in 1154, passed through Santiago while completing his 5-year journey on foot from Iceland to Rome.
In the middle of the 14th century, the pilgrimage spread to even more travelers from the British Isles, who, from the ports of A Coruña and Lugo, did the trip to Santiago on horseback or by foot. This Way, although not without its dangers, greatly reduced the length of the Camino de Santiago. By sea, reaching the cathedral usually took 10-21 days, and by foot from France, pilgrims had to undertake a long four-five month journey filled with dangerous bandits and thieves. In any case, those who chose the English Way were welcomed to monasteries and hospitals run by the Hospital Order of the Sancti Spiritus or the Franciscan Order.
Con el enorme aumento de las peregrinaciones, los armadores se vieron obligados a solicitar permisos de la Corona para sus viajes, los cuales les autorizaban a embarcar una cantidad determinada de romeros en sus barcos. De estos permisos destaca el concedido en el conocido como ‘Año de la Perdonanza’, en 1434, en el que se permitió el embarque de más de 2000 peregrinos, por lo que el precio de los derechos de anclaje en el puerto de A Coruña subió ostensiblemente.
These British pilgrimages are remembered through various 14th and 15th-century ceramic artifacts and offerings found during excavations of the Cathedral, such as a portable alabaster altarpiece with five scenes of Santiago’s life, donated to the Cathedral by John Goodvear in 1456.
Despite the history surrounding this Way, the current itinerary has little in common with the original, as it is now mostly on land. Although it can be completed from A Coruña (also known as the Camiño do Faro, or the Lighthouse Way) or Ferrol, the truth is that only those who leave from Ferrol can obtain the title of Compostelana, as the mere 70 km from Coruña aren’t enough. At any rate, the English Way is either of two itineraries full of beauty and historical importance which merge together in the town of Bruma, and from there lead to Santiago de Compostela.
With a strong coastal influence, both routes traverse green landscapes, rural zones, and interior villages, and offer the pilgrims three stages from A Coruña (or five from Ferrol) on a path few choose to travel.
CURIOSIDAD: Aunque este Camino es, hoy en día, terrestre, una original alternativa para realizarlo es mediante la fórmula conocida como ‘Navega el Camino’, donde los peregrinos recorren las primeras etapas en barcos de vela, para atracar en el puerto de A Coruña y recorrer el último tramo a pie hasta Santiago. Para recibir la Compostelana es necesario completar 100 millas a través del mar y una última parte caminando, normalmente desde el monte do Gozo hasta la ciudad del Apóstol.
