GUÍA VISUAL DEL CAMINO PRIMITIVO
Since the beginning of the first pilgrimages and to ease the fact of going from one
country to another, both accreditation documents and letters of recommendation
were created in religious centres before starting a way.
Nowadays, they are put together in just one document, which is given in different
places throughout The Way.
In the past, it was normal to start The Way from your house; the pilgrim’s passport
was given in your nearest parish.
In The Camino Primitivo (The Old Way), which starts in Oviedo, you can get
youpilgrim’s passport in three places:
- San Salvador Cathedral, in Oviedo Telephone number: 985219642
- San Juan el Real Church, which is located at the end of Covadonga Street and
at the beginning of Melquiades Álvarez Street.Telephone number: 985212388
- Asociación Astur Leonesa de Amigos del Camino de Santiago
(It is an organisation created by people from Asturias and León who know
incredibly well The Way).
They run the pilgrim’s hostel in Oviedo and it is located in Leopoldo Alas Street, Nº20.
Telephone number: 985228525
- Oviedo Tourism Office
Telephone number: 984493563
Plaza de la Constitución, nº 4 - Oviedo - (En la plaza del Ayuntamiento).
The credential or Pilgrim’s Passport accredits you as a pilgrim; therefore, you
can have Access to public hostels. You must stamp your Passport in the
stop-off points.
They can be a public or private organisation like for example the hostels,
hotels, restaurants, cafés, post offices, police stations, associations related
to The Way or any church
Nowadays you will be asked to have two stamps per stage. Once you get to
Santiago de Compostela you will have to show all of them at the Pilgrim’s
Office in Santiago.
This way you will receive the official certificate called La Compostela
THE PILGRIM’S PASSPORT
or THE CREDENTIAL
The second page of the Credencial is dedicated to clarifying instructions, which
reads
Necessary considerations
This Credencial is only for pilgrims on foot, bicycle or horseback, who wish to
make the pilgrimage with a Christian sentiment, even if it is only with an attitude of
search. The Credencial has the purpose of identifying the pilgrim; which is why the
institution that issues it must be a parish church, confraternity, dioceses, Association
of Friends of the Way of St. James, or any Christian institution related to the
pilgrimage.
The Credencial does not generate any rights to the pilgrim. It has two
practical purposes: 1) access to hostels offered by the Christian hospitality of the
Way, 2) serve as certification in applying for the “Compostela” at the Cathedral of
Santiago, which certifies you have made the pilgrimage.
The “Compostela” is only granted to those who make the pilgrimage with Christian
sentiment: devotionis affectu, voti vel pietatis causa (motivated by devotion, vote or
mercy). And it is only granted to those who make the pilgrimage to reach the Tomb
of the Apostle, doing in full at least the last 100 kilometres on foot or horseback, or
the last 200 km by bike or 100 nautical miles and last km on foot.
The last 100 km must be done by any of the routes recognized as official by the S.
A. M. I. Cathedral of Santiago.
Therefore, the pilgrim’s Credencial can only be issued by the Church through its
institutions (Bishopric, Parish, Confraternity, etc. or, in any case, through institutions
that are authorised by the Church). This is the only way the “Compostela” can be
awarded at the S.A.M.I. Cathedral of Santiago (Conference on the Holy Year:
November 1993).
Hostels that receive no subsidies must be maintained, within austerity, with
contributions from pilgrims (cleaning, looking after facilities, facilitating rest, financial
aid…).
Groups organised with support car or by bicycle are requested to seek alternative
shelter to the pilgrim hostels.
The bearer of this Credencial accepts these conditions.
To request the pilgrim credential outside of Spain, consult the following link
https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/preparation/confraternities-worldwide/
