As the Regional Minister of Culture and Tourism, I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to a new initiative designed to further enrich the Way of Saint James experience: the ANDANTES website, part of the “O Teu Xacobeo” programme. A crafted guide designed to provide a practical and updated log enabling pilgrims to enjoy their experience along the Way to Santiago de Compostela to the full.
Practical initiatives such as this are always welcome, tailored to cater for a vast potential audience – all the information included on ANDANTES will be available in English and Chinese, as well as in Spanish and Galician -, that highlight the wealth of heritage, social and cultural values that characterise the various ways. Even more so when, as in this case, they are captained by experts with a vast knowledge, long-standing experience and close ties with the Way of Saint James.
The history of this pilgrimage in Galicia is rooted in values and hospitality inspired by the life and legacy of the Apostle Saint James the Greater. Since the Middle Ages, millions of people from all walks of life have travelled to Santiago de Compostela from all over the world, following the various ways of Saint James. Today, thanks to tools such as ANDANTES, they can do so with the benefit of in-depth prior knowledge, planning and convenience, further enhancing the innately intense and enriching pilgrimage experience.
The Galician regional government (Xunta de Galicia) is working to ensure that all Xacobeo initiatives will be fully inclusive – the result of a sum of efforts on a personal and institutional level, taking advantage of cutting-edge Galicia at the forefront of progress, committed to quality and innovation yet that remains true to the legacy of the tradition of the Way of Saint James in our Community. A truly memorable history whose next chapter will be written in 2021. A chapter that will reflect the very best of us all, and will undoubtedly deserve to be written in letters of gold.
