History of maritime pilgrimages to Santiago
The Muros Noia Estuary Route has the uniqueness of being a maritime route, which does not begin in Muros, nor Noia nor Porto do Son, but comes from overseas.
The Camino de Santiago through the Ría de Muros Noia has a unique feature that sets it apart from other pilgrimage routes: It doesn’t begin on land — it begins at sea.
For centuries, pilgrims from the North Atlantic arrived at these Galician ports during their voyages to Santiago de Compostela, following the commercial maritime routes of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.
Geographical context
The Rías of Muros and Noia are distinguished by their structure as a natural harbor, as their
main port centers are located at opposite but complementary ends.
Muros is located facing the sea, and Noia is situated at the end of the estuary.
The geological evolution of the estuary’s inlets has caused the port of Noia (formerly the
main port of Compostela, Portus Apostoli) to become silted up, allowing only small
recreational boats to reach it. Currently, the port of Portosín serves as the maritime gateway
for pilgrims heading to Noia.
Maritime trade and pilgrimages to Compostela
The Camino de Santiago by sea is the route used by pilgrims to reach Compostela via the
commercial channels of Atlantic Europe during the Middle Ages and Modern Era.
This estuary was not only a place of arrival but also a place of lodging under the jurisdiction
of the Mitra of Compostela, as pilgrims disembarked directly at a port protected by the
Church of Santiago de Compostela.
The symbolic origin of the maritime Camino de Santiago and the Second Crusade
In the Second Crusade, the fleet of Atlantic vessels chartered by nobles from the European
Atlantic coast began their journey from Dartmouth to the Holy Land.
According to chronicles, their first destination was the Ría de Muros Noia where, on the eve
of Pentecost, they arrived at the Church of the Blessed James (Beato Jacobo). This event
symbolically marks the first pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle James.
The Puebla Charter of Noia (1168) and the Portus Apostoli
King Ferdinand II, in his Puebla Charter of Noia, granted the Archbishop of Compostela the
land needed to establish the town. Among the most significant laws described in this
document are the fiscal and administrative advantages granted to ships sailing through the
estuary.
Furthermore, any vessel transporting pilgrims had the privilege of immunity, and in the event
of a shipwreck, any recovered goods had to be returned to their owners. The charter refers
to the restoration of the Portus Apostoli, the name identifying Noia as the port of destination
for maritime pilgrims.
The letter of Emperor Charles V (1524), a safeguard for pilgrims. In 1524, Charles V wrote a letter to the governor ordering the release of all pilgrims held captive in Muros, as these individuals were under the protection and shelter of the Church of Santiago. This was yet another demonstration of the institutional importance of this maritime route.
The Vía Querinissima – Pietro Querinni
Pietro Querini, a Venetian nobleman and merchant, began a journey in 1431 from Crete to
Flanders that would become one of the most emblematic maritime odysseys of the 15th
century. After many misfortunes, such as breakdowns, forced detours, and storms, his ship
reached the Galician port of Muros, from where he began a pilgrimage to Santiago de
Compostela. Shortly thereafter, upon resuming navigation, another storm caused his ship to
wreck and his crew to be scattered. Only a small group, including Querini himself, survived
after weeks adrift, eventually being rescued by Norwegian fishermen in the Lofoten Islands,
where they were welcomed with hospitality. There he discovered dried cod, which would go
on to have a huge impact on European trade.
Querini’s journey not only left a human testimony of endurance and discovery but also a
historical, cultural, and gastronomic legacy that has been documented in original diaries
preserved in Venetian libraries. Today, his route inspires the creation of the Vía
Querinissima, a path that seeks to recover his memory by connecting Europe from north to
south across the sea. This route, which unites history, heritage, and sustainable tourism,
aspires to be recognized as a European Cultural Itinerary by the Council of Europe. The
Querinissima has thus become a symbolic bridge between cultures and generations, and
one of the great maritime narratives of the European Jacobean imagination.