Santiago Apóstol
Santiago el Mayor
Santiago de Zebedeo, also known as Santiago el Mayor (from the Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος, Iákobos), is a figure prominently mentioned in several New Testament writings, such as the Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, which highlight his role as one of the closest followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Within Christian tradition, he is identified as Santiago el Mayor to distinguish him from another member of the original group of twelve disciples, Santiago el Menor.
Santiago el Mayor, whose given name was Santiago de Zebedeo, was one of the most prominent followers of Jesus of Nazareth, as well as the brother of John. He is believed to have been born, possibly in Bethsaida (Galilee), the son of Zebedee and Salome. Throughout his life he stayed close to Jesus and was present at crucial moments such as the raising of Jairus’s daughter, the Transfiguration and Jesus’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was likewise a witness to the appearances of the risen Jesus and the miracle of the great catch of fish on the Sea of Tiberias.
According to the accounts contained in the Acts of the Apostles, Santiago Apóstol played an active part in the communal life of Jesus’s followers and was notable in prayer on the day of Pentecost. Together with Simon Peter and John, he was one of the key pillars of the early Christian community. He is believed to have met his death in Jerusalem at the hands of Herod Agrippa I, at some point between the years 41 and 44 of the common era. Santiago is recognised as the patron saint of Spain.
Life story of the Apóstol Santiago
Biblical accounts of the Apóstol Santiago
Santiago, mentioned in Matthew 4:21 as the son of Zebedee, had a brother named John. John also became a disciple of Jesus. It is likely that their mother, Salome, followed Jesus as well. Jesus gave them the nickname “Boanerges” (Mk 3:17), meaning “sons of thunder”, on account of their impulsive temperament. Luke narrates an episode in which Santiago and his brother John wanted to ask God to destroy a Samaritan town, which is linked to their nickname.
Although the nickname “sons of thunder” is commonly thought to refer to the brothers John and Santiago, some historians suggest that it stems from the impulsive character of their father Zebedee. Zebedee, upset at the loss of his sons and his wife Salome, who left to follow Jesus, reacted with fury. Santiago was among the first to be called by Jesus while fishing with his brother John on the Sea of Galilee (Mk 1:19). He later joined the more exclusive group of the Twelve disciples (Mt 10:3). Santiago shared special moments with Jesus, alongside his brother John and Simon Peter. He was present at the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mk 5:21-43), the Transfiguration of Jesus (Lk 9) and the prayer in the Garden of Olives (Mk 14:33). He also formed part of the select group of disciples who witnessed the miraculous appearance of the risen Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 21:1-8). He is likewise mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the Upper Room while awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13). Santiago was condemned to death and beheaded by order of Herod Agrippa I, king of Judea (Acts 12:2). His death is estimated to have taken place between the years 41 and 44, during the reign of Agrippa I over Judea.
Medieval traditions about the Apóstol Santiago
According to an old medieval belief, the Apóstol Santiago is said to have travelled to Hispania (present-day Spain and Portugal) shortly after Pentecost, around the year 33 AD, to spread the Gospel. Legend has it that he began his preaching in Gallaecia after crossing the Pillars of Hercules. Some accounts claim he consecrated the Temple of Hercules to San Pedro on the islet of Sancti Petri. He then continued along the coast of Baetica and Portugal; other stories say he passed through Tarraco and explored the Ebro valley, joining the Roman road that reached Provincia A Coruña. It is also said that he reached Carthago Nova and then set off northward. This tradition made Santiago the patron saint of Spain, offering it his protection.
Christian tradition holds that the Seven Apostolic Men, who were disciples of Santiago el Mayor, continued evangelising in Spain after the apostle’s death. These seven disciples are believed to have been Torcuato, Segundo, Indalecio, Tesifonte, Cecilio, Eufrasio and Hesiquio. It is said that after spreading the Gospel across various regions of Spain, they returned to Zaragoza, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Santiago el Mayor upon a pillar, leaving behind the column known as “el Pilar”. Devotion to the Virgen del Pilar is of great importance in Spain, particularly in the city of Zaragoza.
Popular belief has long held that the remains found in Santiago de Compostela in the early 9th century belong to the apostle Santiago, although, due to the lack of direct analysis, it has been suggested they could belong to Bishop Priscillian or another notable figure of the Roman era. Despite this, Pope Leo XIII reaffirmed in 1884, through a Papal Bull, that the remains belonged to the apostle, after ordering their study.
Various New Testament apocrypha (such as the Book of the Dormition of Mary, among others) preserve the tradition that places Santiago el Mayor outside Jerusalem shortly before his martyrdom. These stories arose before the “discovery” of the Apostle’s Tomb. According to these accounts, in Mary’s final moments, the risen Jesus Christ visits her at her request to be with the apostles at her passing, finding them scattered across the world. Jesus Christ grants her wish, and Mary, through a miraculous apparition, notifies her disciples. It is said that Mary’s apparition to Santiago took place upon a pillar in Caesaraugusta (present-day Zaragoza), a column still venerated today in the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar in the Aragonese capital.
The story tells that Santiago undertook a long journey from Spain to Jerusalem to meet Mary, the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, before her passing, since she was still living in the capital of Judea. Santiago was later martyred by Herod Agrippa. The legend concludes with the account that two of his disciples, Athanasius and Theodore, are said to have carried his body (preserved in some manner) across the Mediterranean Sea in a mythical stone boat and sailed on across the Atlantic to Galicia, where they buried him in Iria Flavia, later discovered by Bishop Theodomir in the 9th century.
The tomb of the Apóstol Santiago
Around the year 813 or 820, during the reign of Alfonso II the Chaste, a Christian hermit named Paio (also known as Pelayo) approached the Galician bishop Theodomir of Iria Flavia (present-day Padrón, Provincia A Coruña) with startling news: he had seen a series of bright lights over a solitary hill in the region. Theodomir decided to investigate and discovered a tomb that appeared to be of Roman origin, inside which lay the body of a beheaded man, his head resting beneath his arm.
The discovery of the tomb was already significant, but the possibility that the beheaded body was that of the apostle Santiago caused a stir at the time. Santiago, one of Jesus’s closest disciples, had been martyred in Jerusalem in the 1st century, and it was said that his remains had been brought to Spain after his death. Veneration of Santiago as the Matamoros (“Moor-slayer”) became a symbol during the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
The news spread quickly, and Alfonso II ordered a church built on the site, giving rise to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The construction of the cathedral and the veneration of Santiago’s remains had a huge impact on the history and culture of Europe. Santiago de Compostela became a centre of pilgrimage, and the Camino de Santiago became a highly popular route for pilgrims. The cult of Santiago influenced literature, art and architecture across medieval Europe.
In 1884, documents were sent to Rome to study certain remains, but Pope Leo XIII appointed a special Congregation to investigate further. Monsignor Agostino Caprara travelled to Santiago to examine the remains and gather testimonies. A supposed relic in Pistoia was studied and found to be a bone with traces of blood, indicating a beheading. Caprara arrived in Santiago in June 1884 and discovered discrepancies among the skulls, which cast doubt on the authenticity of the remains. The Congregation issued its finding on 25 July, Santiago’s feast day, and Pope Leo XIII published the Bull Deus Omnipotens on 1 November, encouraging new pilgrimages. The thorough study confirmed the authenticity of Santiago’s remains, drawing more pilgrims to the Catedral de Santiago.
Apóstol Santiago and the Camino de Santiago
The story of the tomb of the Apóstol Santiago, discovered in the 9th century by the hermit Pelayo, is fascinating and full of profound implications. This discovery was not only of great religious significance, but also had a considerable impact on the political sphere of the time. Thanks to this discovery, the king of Asturias, Alfonso II the Chaste, was able to strengthen his territorial domains under the protection of the Apóstol Santiago, which contributed to the Christianisation of the ancient “Vía del Finisterre“.
The “Vía del Finisterre” was a route travelled since ancient times by various Celtic peoples heading towards what was believed to be the end of the world. With the popularisation of Gallic pilgrimages towards north-western Spain, whose archaeological record indicates they took place as far back as the first millennium BC, the Camino Frances, also known as the Via Jacobea, grew in renown. This made Compostela the third most significant medieval pilgrimage centre, after Rome and Jerusalem.
In the year 1122, Pope Callixtus II established that whenever Santiago’s liturgical feast on 25 July fell on a Sunday, it would be considered a privileged Holy Jacobean Year. This designation further raised the prominence of the Camino de Santiago, drawing an ever greater number of pilgrims to the city of Santiago de Compostela.
Festivities in honour of the Apóstol Santiago
Santiago el Mayor, also known as Santiago Apóstol, is an important figure for Spain, venerated as its patron saint. In his honour, religious festivities are held on 25 July in numerous Spanish towns. The city of Santiago de Compostela, located in Provincia A Coruña, stands out as host to the most notable festivities in honour of the Apóstol Santiago. During these festive days, the city’s cathedral becomes the centre of attention with the arrival of large numbers of pilgrims, marking a high point in the city’s calendar year.
Apóstol Santiago
| Santiago el Mayor | ||
|---|---|---|
| Personal information | ||
| Nickname | “el Mayor, the son of Zebedee, Boanerges (“Son of Thunder”) | |
| Birth | 5 BC, Bethsaida, Galilee | |
| Death | 44 AD, Jerusalem, Judea | |
| Cause of death | Beheading | |
| Burial | Catedral de Santiago | |
| Religion | Christianity | |
| Family | ||
| Parents | Zebedee and Salome | |
| Education | ||
| Disciple of | Jesus of Nazareth | |
| Professional information | ||
| Occupation | Fisherman and missionary | |
| Positions held | Apostle | |
| Religious information | ||
| Feast day | 25 July in the Roman rite 23 May: apparition of the Apostle Santiago 30 December: translation of the relics of Santiago Apóstol | |
| Attributes | Dressed as a pilgrim or as a soldier on a white horse in a fighting stance Scallop shell Cross of Santiago | |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church | |
| Patronage | Places: Spain, Galicia, Bilbao, Ermua, the Immemorial Militias consecrated under the Protection of the Apostle of the Old Leonese Crown, Antigua Guatemala, Esquipulas, Real Ciudad de Gáldar, Navas de Oro, Villanueva del Rey, San Cristóbal Verapaz, Villanueva de la Serena, Sama de Langreo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Totana, Santiago del Teide, Castilleja de la Cuesta, Los Realejos, Moyobamba, Castroncelos, Mendoza, Santiago del Estero, Campo Quijano, Cartago, Caracas, Guayaquil, Cali, Tunja, Guata, Santiago de Querétaro, Monclova, Sahuayo de Morelos, Moyahua de Estrada, Juchipila, Ciudad de Zacatecas, Silao, Ciudad de Guanajuato, Natá de los Caballeros, Santiago de los Caballeros, Puriscal, Costa Rica, Santiago de Chile, Santiago de Castro, Valdepeñas de Jaén, Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias, Basel, among others Guilds: Veterinarians, horsemen, tanners, furriers Other: Orden de Santiago Cavalry Academy of Valladolid Cavalry Arm of Spain | |
| Sanctuary | Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela | |
| Religious order | Orden de Santiago | |
| Titles and honours: Apostle and martyr | ||
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