CAMINO FRANCES: DAY 20

Camino Frances day 20.

 DAY 20  | 27 km | From the Carrion de Los Condes to the Terradillos de los Templarios

The main symbol of the Camino is one seashell, particularly the Scallop Shell. The Scallop Shell has many symbolisms, it belongs of course to the pre-Christian times, when it used to symbolize the Sun God and fertility.

On the Camino symbolizes the many roads leading to the town of Santiago de Compostela and to the tomb of St. James.

One can see it almost everywhere all along the Camino way, as the shell and a yellow arrow point shows the pilgrims the right path to get to Santiago. The shell is also found on the coats of arms of the villages and towns across the Camino.

In medieval times, pilgrims used it even in a more practical way as it served as a mug for drinking and eating.

Today every hiker has a shell hanging in his backpack showing that he /she is a pilgrim heading for the Santiago de Compostela.