Xacobeo 2010, here we come

I heard somebody say the other day that she was heartily sick of hearing about Xacobeo 2010. It has to be admitted that it is getting rather a lot of publicity but we are going to hear quite lot more about it. It is only January after all, rather early in the year to be getting sick of it.

Of course it’s all about Saint James and the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and so on. The names all get a bit confusing: James, Jaime, Jacques, Iago, Jacob, even I think Isaac – in the end they’re all just so many versions of the same name.

Anyway, St James has his day (doesn’t every saint as well as every dog?) on July 25th. This year July 25th falls on a Sunday which makes it an Año Santo, a Holy Year when the archbishop of Santiago de Compostela gets to open up the Puerta Santa, the special Holy Door to the cathedral which is bricked up the rest of the time.

I understand it’s also a very good year to make the pilgrimage, which is why so much is being made of Xacobeo 2010, a name which does have quite a nice ring to it.

It’s getting a lot of publicity in Fitur, the Fiesta Internacional del Turismo in Madrid, where you can visit the Galicia stand and see, among other things, the special hammer, made of silver and decorated with lapis lazuli, used by the archbishop to knock down the stones blocking the Puerta Santa. For some reason a new one is made for each Año Santo and the Xunta de Galicia had just presented King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia with a replica of the one used in 1930, the first one to be preserved apparently. These kings and queens do get some very odd gifts in my opinion!!

Security in Santiago de Compostela has been increased as well, it seems. Everyone expects there to be a bigger police presence in an Año Santo, just because there are lots more visitors than in an ordinary (unholy?) year. This year, however, on the day the Puerta Santa was opened there was an attack on a police car and security measures have been stepped up even more as a result.

Extra police cars are on duty at the headquarters of the Xunta and on the approach to Mr Feijóo’s residence. Cars are being stopped on the roads into Santiago de Compostela and spot checks on documentation are taking place. Pilgrims are not being allowed into the cathedral with bags or rucksacks, which is not causing a problem yet but will do as the year progresses because not all the planned baggage deposits will be open until around Easter time.

I wonder if medieval pilgrims had as many problems!

Meanwhile our old friend Mr Feijóo, as well as greeting Galician craftsmen at Fitur, has been advising Mr Zapatero (and all his ministers) to do a bit of the Camino de Santiago as a way of helping him reflect on how he is running the country. In this modern more secular age that we live in the pilgrimage is being promoted as a way of contemplating all aspects of life, not just religious aims and aspirations. It’s also a great excuse for sporting, gastronomic, artistic and musical events.

More that 500 different kinds of events are on the programme including 12 great pop concerts (although only one has been confirmed to date with guitarist Mark Knopfler) and some 40 classical music concerts.

Now, last night we went to CaixaNova Centro Cultural here in Vigo to the first of the classical concerts on the programme here. It was packed and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was magnificent. If that’s the kind of thing that Xacobeo 2010 is providing for us then I, for one, am all for it.