The Camino de Santiago and its different routes would not exist without the pilgrims who travel to Santiago de Compostela, as they give it meaning as the protagonists of the Jacobean event. On the different routes, you can find pilgrims of flesh and blood like you, but also many sculptures that, as a tribute to their figure, stand at some emblematic points of the Jacobean routes. In this article, we will learn more about some of the main sculptures, some more recent than others, that you will encounter while pilgrimaging to Compostela.
Pilgrims on the Northern Way at Monte do Gozo reaching their goal
Sculptures on the French Camino de Santiago
We head to Roncesvalles, at the beginning of the French Camino de Santiago in Spain, where you can see the sculpture called “Estela del Camino”. Located in the gardens of the Royal Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles, it is a work made of corten steel by the Navarrese sculptor Faustino Aizkorbe, inaugurated on May 31, 2013. It is an abstract work due to its spiral shape, representing the movement that the pilgrim’s journey implies. Additionally, the irregularities of the spiral ribbon tell us about all the experiences, both good and bad, that we may encounter during the pilgrimage, and even the irregularities of the terrain the pilgrim finds during the journey. Different notches on the ribbon represent the stages that, little by little, lead the pilgrim to the center, to Santiago de Compostela, an empty vertex that each person will fill during their pilgrim experience.
“Where the path of the wind crosses with the path of the stars.” This is the inscription on the monument we find if we continue towards Santiago de Compostela, a mythical sculptural ensemble on the Camino de Santiago, the Monument at Alto del Perdón, erected at over 900 meters above sea level. It consists of several sheet metal figures representing pilgrims from different times, accompanied by horses, mules, and even dogs. Installed in 1996, it is the work of Vicente Galbete, and from here you have one of the most important panoramic views of the French route.
Further ahead, in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, you can visit a curious sculpture, “Aperos del Peregrino”, located at number 31 on the main street. Here, we see a set of items that identify the pilgrim and are necessary for their journey, such as a pair of boots, a backpack, a staff, the scallop shell, and even a bicycle, also paying tribute to the “bicigrinos”. In the same town, you can find the more classic Monument to the Pilgrim, in front of the Parador of the town, a work created in 1971 by the sculptor Vicente Ochoa.
The Pilgrim Sculpture in Burgos
We continue walking and in the Plaza del Rey San Fernando in Burgos, at the foot of the cathedral, you can find a beautiful bronze statue of a pilgrim. Created by the Burgos sculptor Teodoro Antonio Ruiz, it represents a pilgrim resting, as he is sitting on a bench with the cathedral behind him. It’s a great tourist spot, as you can take a photo sitting next to him with the beautiful view of the plaza and the Burgos cathedral. Very nearby, on Fernán González street, you can find another sculpture representing a pilgrim taking care of his feet, in a classic scene of any self-respecting pilgrim.
We continue the pilgrimage, and at the Puerta del Castillo in Mansilla de las Mulas we will find another Monument to the Pilgrim, a stone cross where, at its feet, we can see three pilgrims resting. In this sculpture, created by sculptor Ángel Muñiz in 1998, the presence of a young female pilgrim stands out, something not often seen in these monuments.
In León, we must highlight the Monument to the Pilgrim located at the crossing of the majestic Plaza de San Marcos, created by sculptor Martín Vázquez de Acuña and inaugurated in 1998. Resting barefoot at the base of the cross, the pilgrim seems either asleep or perhaps reflecting.
Alto de San Roque
In Galicia, at the Alto de San Roque, after passing O Cebreiro, you will find the Monument to the Pilgrim, at 1,270 meters above sea level. It is the work of Galician sculptor José María Acuña, installed here in 1993, for the Holy Year. It depicts a pilgrim walking who must hold onto his hat due to the strong winds often found here.
Finally, common to both the Northern Camino de Santiago and the Primitive Camino de Santiago, located on the Monte do Gozo, just five kilometers from Santiago de Compostela, we find an iconic image, the Monument to the Pilgrims. It depicts two pilgrims who, upon the first sight of the towers of the Santiago Cathedral, express their joy at the imminent arrival. Like them, every pilgrim feels the same, and it is an iconic place to take a photo. Installed during the Holy Year of 1993, it is the work of Galician sculptor José María Acuña.
The sculptures of the Camino de Santiago at Monte do Gozo
Sculptures on the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
On the Portuguese Camino de Santiago, at the entrance of Tui, there is a sculpture created by the artist Juan Vázquez, where we see a pilgrim resting next to a fountain with a scallop shell. At the exit of the city, and next to the Roman bridge over the Louro River or Ponte da Veiga, we find a stone sculpture with the silhouette of a pilgrim carved inside, staff included.
Further along, in the next stage, we find a recent sculpture, rather a stone plate, shaped like a pilgrim. At the entrance of Redondela, under a viaduct, created by the students of the “Redondela Vila Bela II” Workshop in 2019, this monument stands where pilgrims make a mandatory stop to take a photo “inside” this work. Additionally, it features a map of the Portuguese route in Galicia.
Sculptures on the Primitive Camino de Santiago
On the first of the paths to Santiago, the Primitive Camino from Oviedo, we must highlight a monument that honors all pilgrims but, especially, the first pilgrim in history: it is the Monument to Alfonso II “the Chaste”. Located next to the Cathedral of Oviedo, it was created by sculptor Victor Hevia, made of stone in 1942. The city of Oviedo gifted the city of Santiago de Compostela a copy of this sculpture in 1965, which we can see next to the Faculty of Geography and History in the city of Santiago.
Alfonso II “the Chaste”
Sculptures on the English Camino de Santiago
On the English Way to Santiago, in the place of Ardemil, we can see a curious and surreal set of sculptures where, in addition to honoring the pilgrims with a granite sculpture of the Apostle Santiago Pilgrim, there is a giant dinosaur that we sometimes find devouring a girl, King Kong style. An arch with two tractors and other pieces with different figures make this place a must-stop for surprised pilgrims.
As you can see, there are many sculptural works that we can see on the different routes to Santiago de Compostela, especially on the French Camino. They are sculptures that honor us as pilgrims, while also giving us beautiful images and snapshots that will allow us to forever remember our pilgrim adventure. If you know any more, please help us with our personal inventory and comment below which other sculptures you know. And if you don’t know these, we invite you to admire them while doing the Camino de Santiago.
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