The government has certified the Central Portuguese Route to Santiago Compostela

The government has certified the Portuguese Way from Santiago Central and north to Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, which crosses 13 municipalities and is 177.8 kilometers long, because of its “heritage, historical and cultural importance,” it was announced on Tuesday.

“The Portuguese Route of Central Santiago – Porto and the North is certified as the Route of the Santiago Route and the Porto Historic Route (between the northern entrance of the D. Luis Bridge and Plaza Carlos Alberto), the Barcelos Historic Route (between Largo do Tanque in Barcelona and Largo do Bem Feito in Barcelos) and the historical route of Ponte de Lima (between the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Guia in Ponte de Lima and Largo da Alegria in Arcoselo), said the decree published on Tuesday. in Diário da Republica.

Through the certification, the government intends to “recognize and preserve the cultural and natural heritage associated with the Way of Santiago and ensure adequate support services for pilgrims.”

The Portuguese Route, from Santiago Central – Porto and north to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, is the fifth route certified by the government throughout the country, and the third in the north.

The first was the Caminho Português Central-Alentejo and Ribatejo, in 2021, the same certification year as the Caminho Português Interior, which connects Viseu with Chaves and travels to Spain via Vilarella da Raya.

The Portuguese Coastal Path, which leaves Porto and crosses Minha into Spain, was certified in 2022.

This year the government certified the Camino Português Central-Região Centro and, as of this Tuesday, the Camino Português de Santiago Central Porto e Norte.

The Way of Santiago has been visited by millions of pilgrims since the early 9th century, when the tomb of the Apostle Santiago Mayor was discovered in Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia, Spain.

The Portuguese route from Santiago, Central Porto and the north, passes through Oliveira de Azemeis, São João da Madeira, Santa Maria da Feira, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Matosinhos, Maia, Vila do Conde, Povoa de Varzim, Barcelos, Ponte de Lima, Walls of Kura and Valence.

“The basis for the antiquity of this route and its continuous use to this day are studies that prove its regular use by people traveling in transit between the Douro and Minho regions,” the resolution emphasizes.

According to the document, “the stories of Jacobin pilgrimages made between the 14th and 18th centuries by travelers from various countries stand out, whose reports provide us with relevant information about the route (orography, religious temples, road network and supporting places for pilgrims) that highlight its importance and historical dynamics.”

“Written sources are consistent with surviving walking routes, archaeological finds related to the establishment and expansion of the cult in Portugal, and examples of religious and road architecture, including Porto Cathedral, Church of Santiago de Custoias, Church of Santiago do Couto, Collegiate Church of Barcelos , the Monastery of Lesa do Balio, the Monastery of Junqueira, the Romanesque Church of San Pedro de Rates, the Chapel of Santiago (Ponte de Lima) or the Romanesque Church of Rubiães, as well as ancient hospitals and hostels. , cruises, niches and bridges,” he adds.

According to the decree, the route also values ​​”manifestations of intangible culture, such as the legends of the Rooster of Barcelos, Queen Santa Isabel and the Knight of Cayo Carpo, as well as toponymy, cyclical festivals and other related cult practices from the Way of Santiago.”

“The route is based on the ancient Estrada Real, which largely traces the main Roman routes from north to south (namely the Antonino XVI route between Lisbon and Braga), which served as the “highway” of the Portuguese Caminos de Santiago. The route between Porto and Valença, being the shortest and most direct, will benefit from investment in the route’s infrastructure during the medieval period, highlighting the 13th century as the “golden age” of bridge construction.”

The certification of the Portuguese route of Santiago Central – Porto and the North has “the consent of the municipalities it crosses and ensures safety, passability, support equipment and information conditions.”