Codex Calixtinus. Book V: The Medieval Pilgrim’s Guide
Book V of the Codex Calixtinus is an essential historical text that forms part of European identity. It was compiled around the year 1140, probably by a French monk, and is the first guide to describe the Camino Frances and its final destination. It is also considered the first travel book in Europe. This Medieval Pilgrim’s Guide, now in the hands of peregrinos, readers and tourists alike, allows them to journey through unique places from 12th-century Europe. Its pages contain valuable information for medieval pilgrims, such as the quality of the waters of the great rivers that cross the route, from the tributaries of the Ebro to the Sar. It also contains the oldest known list of Basque words and one of the earliest phrasebooks for travellers.
The author pauses to describe the sanctuaries, relics and martyrs that pilgrims should know about, and culminates in an unrivalled description of Santiago de Compostela, defined here as “the happiest and most exalted city in Spain”, offering numerous details about the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, at a time when the Pórtico de la Gloria had not even been built yet.
UNESCO has selected this book for its ‘Memory of the World Register’, in recognition of its great cultural and historical value.
