The National Library presents an exhibition Of the Camino de Santiago

The article “Exhibition at the National Library” informs about the exhibition dedicated to the Camino de Santiago that is held at the National Library of Spain, where documents, maps, manuscripts, and historical materials are displayed that illustrate the evolution, culture, and impact of the Jacobean pilgrimages throughout the centuries, offering a visual and educational journey about its legacy.

The cultural program of Xacobeo 21-22 is non-stop, and from November 11 until February 6 we will be able to learn more about the Way of Santiago thanks to the exhibition that the National Library of Spain offers us on the First European Cultural Itinerary. Under the title Xacobeo. The Footprints of the Way, in this exhibition we will discover all the cultural heritage that the Camino de Santiago has generated for over a millennium.

Following the Pilgrim Footprints

At the official presentation of the exhibition, which took place on November 10 of this Holy Year 2021, the director of the National Library of Spain, Ana Santos Aramburo, points out that "it is an opportunity to see artistic manifestations of various kinds that remain in manuscripts, incunabula, maps, press, drawings, engravings, painting, sculpture, posters, photography, music, cinema,… that show the imprint that the Jacobean theme has left over the centuries and that help to understand the phenomenon that the Camino de Santiago represents today".

"The exhibition speaks to us about all the paths that humanity travels"

In this way, José Andrés Torres Mora, executive president of Acción Cultural Española, summarizes this exhibition curated by Darío Villanueva, director of the Royal Spanish Academy of Language. Villanueva himself talks to us about the title of the exhibition, where the word "footprint" has many connotations: besides being the evidence of the passage of pilgrims along the different paths leading to Compostela, "footprint" also has the meaning of "way", especially in Latin American countries, which has been the focus of the gallery at the National Library. Alongside his curatorial work, it is important to highlight the scientific committee, composed of Carmen Manso, Juan Monterroso, Paolo Caucci von Sauken, and the Galician Xosé Luis Barreiro, who will be in charge of the different sections of the exhibition.

"Footprint is path," as Antonio Machado said

Among the original pieces on display, we can highlight some well-known ones. More than 100 belong to the collections of the National Library, such as the Partidas of Alfonso X "the Wise" or a Sacred Bible from the 13th century. The Barrié Foundation also participates in the exhibition, providing the reproduction of the Musical Instruments of the Portico of Glory. For its part, the Institute of Galician Studies contributes a painting by Murillo depicting Santiago Zebedeo, as well as a model of the Cathedral of Santiago. Personalities from Galician culture will also lend works, such as the photographs of Xurxo Lobato. There will be a total of 211 originals that speak to us of a path that is part of the "essence and collective identity of Europeans," as noted in the presentation by the Minister of Culture of the Xunta de Galicia, Román Rodríguez.

One makes the path by walking…

If you want to visit the exhibition, you still have plenty of time. Occupying the Recoletos Room of the National Library, it can be visited from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, while on Sundays and holidays only in the morning, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Admission is free and open until capacity is reached, with a maximum of 150 people, so it is recommended to reserve tickets. For groups with their own guide, it is also necessary to reserve, and guided tours with staff from the National Library are also available.

However, if you live in Galicia, you will have the opportunity to visit it without the need to travel to Madrid, as it is expected that the exhibition will be displayed at the Gaiais Museum of the City of Culture of Santiago de Compostela between March and May of the upcoming spring of 2022.

The footprint of Santiago

Indeed, following the one who knows the most about the Spanish language, we could refer to the Camino de Santiago as the Footprint of Santiago, or in reality the Footprint of Humanity, as all the heritage that the Jacobean event has gifted us is of utmost importance. From the first tourist guide of the Camino de Santiago to the countless cathedrals that dot the routes to Compostela, everything generated by the Camino de Santiago is due to the steps and footprints of millions of pilgrims throughout History. This is how the Stages of the Portuguese Way exist.

If you have not yet undertaken the Camino de Santiago, we recommend a visit to this exhibition, which will help you understand the importance of this highway of knowledge that has shaped Europe and, above all, our country. We are sure that, quoting Antonio Machado once again, you will want to make your way by walking, and we can guide your steps so that the journey leaves a profound mark on you.