Don Elias Valina Sampedro's Camino Frances Thesis

[John Finn]

I was in O Cebreiro yesterday and paid my respects at the church to the great Don Elias without whom the Camino Frances wouldn't be what it is today.

Does anyone know if his thesis on the Camino which he did at the University of Salamanca is available in English translation anywhere?

 

[mspath]

John Finn,

Like you and many multitudes of pilgrims I have always paid my respects in O Cebreiro to the memory of Don Elias Valiña Sampedro.

Perhaps while you were walking you missed seeing this recent relevant forum post

Mundicamino today 30/04/2017 reports a most personalized account/memoir by
José Manuel López Valiña,
nephew of Don Elias Valiña Sampedro, the now renown priest from O Cebreiro who painted the first famous yellow arrows along the Camino Frances and did so much more to re-awaken modern interest in the camino. López Valiña researched for and with his uncle and was responsable for the cartography in Don Elias Valiña Sampedro's Guía del Camino de Santiago, published 1984.
See www.mundicamino.com/noticias/8965/galicia-y-el-camino-le-deben-mucho-a-elas-valia/

For basic info re Don Elias Valiña Sampedro's life and publications
see www.igrexa.org/cebreiro/frames.html

 

[John Finn]

Marvellous. Thanks very much.

 

[mspath]

Further to your request bibliographic references cited above note that
Don Elias Valiña Sampedro's
El Camino de Santiago. Estudio histórico-jurírico was published in Madrid, 1972, by Ediciones CSIC.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Is any of it available in English?

 

[mspath]

Is any of it available in English?

My recent on-line search found nothing translated into English from El Camino de Santiago. Estudio histórico-jurírico.

However the guide book El Camino de Santiago originally published by Everest, 1985 was translated into English, French, and German and republished by Editorial Galaxia, Vigo in 1992.

 

[Pelegrin]

I read on Internet that it is said that being Don Elias painting yellow arrows near the French border he was asked by the Guardia Civil about what he was doing (remember the ETA problem at that time) and he said "Estoy preparando una gran invasión" (I´m preparing a great invasion).
The Elias Valiña work was essential but I would like also to recognize Xunta de Galicia and its president Manuel Fraga that created an infraestructure of albergues with very low cost for pilgrims (among other things), that was a brilliant idea.

 

[William Marques]

I bought a copy of the English version of the guide book in Santiago in 1998 are they still sold?

 

[mspath]

I bought a copy of the English version of the guide book in Santiago in 1998 are they still sold?

You might write Editorial Galaxia who published the 1992 edition and ask. Here is their email--
galaxia@editorialgalaxia.com

I bought the French version of the 1992 edtion late November 2011 in O Cebreiro in the bar/shop/casa rural run by Elias Valina's relatives next to the church.

PS.
For varied dates/publishers/languages and prices (!!) check out these Valina citations on Amazon.com.

and available at Abe.books
which also lists 1971 Spanish copies of El Camino de Santiago. Estudio Histórico-jurídico.