Camino de Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía

History of the Camino de Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía

Its history begins many centuries ago, when the Romans were convinced that the Earth was flat, a kind of solid slab floating on a mysterious and enigmatic ocean known as Mare Tenebrosum. Finisterre, or Finis Terrae, was considered the last place on Earth.

Ancestral origins

This Camino was already regarded as a pilgrimage site by the Celts, who chose it as an important place of sun worship, the Ara Solis. Here, the king star was seen for the last time each day, marking the beginning of the great mystery: the world of the dead or the island of eternal youth. Therefore, the route was born as a pagan path with no connection to Christianity.

The preaching of the Apostle Saint James

However, with the discovery of the remains of the Apostle Saint James and the Christianization of the peninsula, it was soon incorporated into the network of routes used by pilgrims heading to Compostela. After the consolidation of the Camino de Santiago in the Middle Ages, more and more pilgrims decided to continue their journey to Finisterre in search of the supernatural mysticism that surrounded A Costa da Morte. Christianity also forms part of the history of the Camino to Finisterre. It is said that the Apostle himself destroyed the altar of the Ara Solis during his preaching in the peninsula, building in its place the hermitage of San Guillermo, now disappeared.

In the Middle Ages

The Codex Calixtinus also records that the Apostle’s remains were transferred to Duio, a village near Finisterre, to request the king’s consent for their burial. According to legend, the passage of the Apostle’s disciples through this place was a trap designed by Queen Lupa to prevent the saint from being buried in Galicia. Like the rest of the Caminos de Santiago, the Camino to Finisterre experienced significant development during the Middle Ages.

Decline and revival

However, it also experienced a significant decline from the 16th century onwards. It was not until the 20th century that administrations, associations, and local entities once again revitalized the Camino to Finisterre. They carried out important promotional and awareness efforts and created their own pilgrimage certificates, such as the Fisterrana and the Muxiana, which certify the completion of the route.