The certificate

[Lito Wen]

Buneos Camino!
So i wanna ask the certificate question.
If i finish 100KM in other place such as burgos to Leon, can i get the certificate in santiago? Or need to finish the last 100km?

 

[dougfitz]

The “Compostela“ is the accreditation of pilgrimage to the Tomb of St. James.

The requirements for receiving the Compestela are at the link.

 

[grayland]

The Compostela is awarded only for completing the FINAL 100km, if walking, into Santiago.

 

[Miki Goldie]

You must walk the last 100 klms from Sarria at least, with two stamps per day to achieve the Compostela. All the others are certificates, eg St Jean to Sahagun -halfway 400 Klm certificate obtained at the monastery at Sahagun.
Santiago to Muxia - certificate.....Muxia to Finisterre certificate...or Santiago - Finisterre - certificate. Distance certificate obtained from anywhere to Santiago eg. St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago is 799 Klm certificate. (€3)
No taxis, no buses, no bikes no wheeled transport only walking but horses, donkeys, riding elephants allowed.
It took me until my 3rd Camino to get the 799 Klm & 400klm, Muxia & Finisterre certificates this year. With walking only. (2016, 2017, 2018) and another Compestella. So I have 2 compostelas for 2016 & 2018.
Love

 

[Lito Wen]

You must walk the last 100 klms from Sarria at least, with two stamps per day to achieve the Compostela. All the others are certificates, eg St Jean to Sahagun -halfway 400 Klm certificate obtained at the monastery at Sahagun.
Santiago to Muxia - certificate.....Muxia to Finisterre certificate...or Santiago - Finisterre - certificate. Distance certificate obtained from anywhere to Santiago eg. St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago is 799 Klm certificate. (€3)
No taxis, no buses, no bikes no wheeled transport only walking but horses, donkeys, riding elephants allowed.
It took me until my 3rd Camino to get the 799 Klm & 400klm, Muxia & Finisterre certificates this year. With walking only. (2016, 2017, 2018) and another Compestella. So I have 2 compostelas for 2016 & 2018.
Love

So i can get the certificates but not the Compostela?

 

[Miki Goldie]

Which certificate/ distance do you want to walk on your pilgrimage?

 

[Lito Wen]

Which certificate/ distance do you want to walk on your pilgrimage?

I dont have to get a certificate, just wants to know the rules in there

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Pilgrim Office offers two certificates. One is the compostela. If you walk the last 100 km to the Cathedral and collect two stamps each day, you qualify. It is free.

A distance certificate shows the distance you walked to get to the Cathedral. It costs money. The rules are a bit looser, but it is not a certificate for discontinuous walking. It won't include distance on the Appalachian Trail, for example, and won't be issued if you admit to taking taxis or buses during your pilgrimage. If you keep it simple and say you started in, say Toulouse, it will show the distance from Toulouse to Santiago. If you get talkative and say you started in Toulouse, then took a train to Sarria, it will not include the unwalked distances.

Your credencial has the stamps of places you stopped and/or passed. It likely is your best souvenir.

 

[t2andreo]

I will try to explain this very simply...

• Everything is focused on ARRIVING at the Cathedral in Santiago.
• Ending a Camino elsewhere qualifies you for nothing from the Cathedrals' Pilgrim Office.
• Walking any distance OTHER than the LAST 100 km INTO Santiago gets you nothing.

The reason really is very simple. Remember that the Camino is a more than 1200-year old, originally Christian (pre-Reformation) pilgrimage . The sole purpose of the original Camino was to arrive at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela to venerate (NOT worship) the remains of the Apostle, Saint James the Greater.

James, brother of Saint John the Apostle, was one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. James' / Santiago's bones are contained, along with the bones of his two followers, Thaddeus and Athanasius, in a silver casket, adjacent to the original 1st century crypt, under the main altar in the Cathedral.

Once pilgrimage started in the late 800s AD, in response to a Papal proclamation, it surged in popularity, then waned, then surged, etc. Currently, it is enjoying a huge surge in popularity. In 1983 (?) UNESCO declared the Camino to be a World Heritage Site. That designation occasioned a renewed interest in walking the various routes of the Camino de Santiago, INTO Santiago de Compostela.

Since the late 1980s, renewed interest in the various aspects of the Camino has attracted pilgrims from all over the world. They come from all cultures, faiths, political beliefs and systems. All enjoy the Camino, seen from their perspective. There are as many reasons for doing a Camino as there are pilgrims. All are welcome.

Hope this helps.

 

[tpmchugh]

You must walk the last 100 klms from Sarria at least, with two stamps per day to achieve the Compostela. All the others are certificates, eg St Jean to Sahagun -halfway 400 Klm certificate obtained at the monastery at Sahagun.
Santiago to Muxia - certificate.....Muxia to Finisterre certificate...or Santiago - Finisterre - certificate. Distance certificate obtained from anywhere to Santiago eg. St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago is 799 Klm certificate. (€3)
No taxis, no buses, no bikes no wheeled transport only walking but horses, donkeys, riding elephants allowed.
It took me until my 3rd Camino to get the 799 Klm & 400klm, Muxia & Finisterre certificates this year. With walking only. (2016, 2017, 2018) and another Compestella. So I have 2 compostelas for 2016 & 2018.
Love

Strangely, my certificate of distance from St Jean to Santiago says 755 Km. Does not really matter but why the discrepancy

 

[Tincatinker]

Strangely, my certificate of distance from St Jean to Santiago says 755 Km. Does not really matter but why the discrepancy

It's likely that the weight of pilgrims has flattened the trail thereby moving Santiago further from StJPdP :0)

 

[VNwalking]

It's likely that the weight of pilgrims has flattened the trail thereby moving Santiago further from StJPdP :0)

This is the best post of the day (the flying pigs were good too...).

 

[Jeff Crawley]

It's likely that the weight of pilgrims has flattened the trail thereby moving Santiago further from StJPdP :0)

The thought of a huge Pilgrim rolling pin smoothing out the Pyrenees and O'Ceb is strangely attractive

 

[Bradypus]

The thought of a huge Pilgrim rolling pin smoothing out the Pyrenees and O'Ceb is strangely attractive

Strange? - definitely! Attractive? - I think we'll have to differ on that one

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Strange? - definitely! Attractive? - I think we'll have to differ on that one

You haven't got my knees

 

[tpmchugh]

It's likely that the weight of pilgrims has flattened the trail thereby moving Santiago further from StJPdP :0)

Well actually looks like it moved it 44 Km closer , was 799 but my certificate says only 755

 

[Thurland]

Strangely, my certificate of distance from St Jean to Santiago says 755 Km. Does not really matter but why the discrepancy

My first one (2014) says "776 km". My second (2017) says "781". My wife's second (also 2017) says "800"

 

[Bala]

My certificate, (Oct. 2018) says 799. It also says I did it in 8 days. Don't rely too heavily on what the pilgrim office writes for you!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

In defence of the team of clerks it does get a bit confusing at times. The date on the Compostela is in Latin whereas the ones on the Distancia are in Spanish and if your Distancia covers two (or more) months there's another chance to slip up.

I'm sure I got it wrong sometimes so sorry about that - fortunately this isn't one of mine!

 

[Bala]

Yes, Jeff, I think the beleaguered volunteer was at the end of a long day and automatically wrote 2018 without even thinking. How many times do we all do that every January?

I had actually started in 2015, which I proudly pointed out to him when I handed over my credentials, having made the pilgrimage (in due proper sequence of course!), over the course of several stages. I didn't realize the mistake until after I left the office.

The irony was, when fellow walkers would ask where I started, I would always respond, "In St. Jean -- 3 years ago. I'm a slow walker! And here I had a certificate that declared me a superwoman!!

I started to go back to have it corrected, but caught myself in time. Where else would I get such a conversation piece?