Caminho Português
The Caminho Português ( German Portuguese Way ) is a Way of St. James that leads from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela .
history
The origin of the Caminho Português as a Christian pilgrimage began after the independence of Portugal in the 12th century . The path probably reached its heyday at the end of the Middle Ages. At that time, the pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James the Apostle acquired an important meaning for European Christianity . At the same time, due to the massive stream of pilgrims, a lively cultural exchange took place between Santiago de Compostela (Galicia), Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto .
The Portuguese Way leads about 620 km from Lisbon through the interior via Coimbra, Porto and Tui to Santiago de Compostela.
Numerous believers made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on various historical Roman roads, the existence of which is still evidenced by numerous milestones ( Milarios ) and old stone blocks. In the many hundreds of pilgrims' hostels ("misericordias") from earlier times there are testimonies to the large numbers of pilgrims. Even some kings and queens of the Portuguese court at the time made pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. Saint Queen Elisabeth of Portugal is said to have made two pilgrimages to Santiago at the beginning of the 14th century and venerated Saint James so much that she was buried with the signs of pilgrimage.
Today, the northernmost part of the path is equipped with a good infrastructure of hostels, while pilgrimage hostels are rarely found in Portugal. The Portuguese way leads through the interior and passes the cities of Santarém, Tomar, Coimbra, Porto, Tui and Santiago. As an alternative route, there is a path along the coast from Porto, which only joins the main path in Padron (Spain). Another alternative leads from Santarém to Fatima, only to join the main route in Coimbra.
Map of the Caminho Português from Porto to Santiago de Compostela
The route diagram shows daily stages between 11 and 27 km. Possible intermediate stops are indicated in brackets. In Lavra is an alternative route along the coast that leads back to the official way in Council.
Web links
- Information on the Portuguese Way of St. James (private site)
- Informative site about the Caminho Português from Porto to Santiago with stages and many pictures (private site)
literature
- Herbert Hirschler : Heaven, Lord God, Portugal: The Portuguese Way of St. James - On the coast from Lisbon via Porto to Santiago de Compostela . 3. Edition. Leykam, 2020, ISBN 978-3-7011-8045-5 .
- John Brierley: A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Portugues: Lisboa, Porto, Santiago . Camino Guides, 2015, ISBN 978-1-84409-653-4 .
- John Brierley: Camino Portugués Maps - Mapas- Maps: Lisboa - Porto - Santiago . Camino Guides, 2015, ISBN 978-1-84409-650-3 .
- Kathrin Hützen: Camino de Santiago Caminho Português | Lisbon - Santiago de Compostela with Fátima, the coastal path and the Camino Espiritual . In: Hützen + Partner Verlag - Pero Negro Editions (Hrsg.): Jakobswege Spain and Portugal . 3. Edition. tape 3 . Hützen & Partner Verlag, Salenstein, Switzerland 2019, ISBN 978-3-906189-30-7 , pp. 274 .
- Raimund Joos: Portugal, Spain. Camino de Santiago Caminho Portugues. From Porto to Santiago de Compostela . 9th edition. Conrad Stein Verlag, Welver 2016, ISBN 978-3-86686-525-9 .
- Cordula Rabe: Camino de Santiago - Caminho Português: From Porto to Santiago de Compostela . 1st edition. Bergverlag Rother, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-7633-4452-9 .
- Klaus Tietz: Where are you going to Ponte di Monte, perspectives of a pilgrimage on the Caminho Portugue s. 1st edition. Tredition Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7469-9990-6 .