Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: coquille Saint-Jacques

The foundation of the monastery is attributed to Martin of Braga. It is known to have been renovated by Saint Fructuoso in the seventh century. The first written mention of this event is from 665. An inscription on the walls says that the Bishop of Lugo Ermefredo rebuilt it. After this restoration it was abandoned before the Muslim invasion until the reconquest of King Fruela I of Asturias, which took place around 760. When, years later, he was assassinated, his widow and son, the future Alfonso II of Asturias ("the Chaste"), found refuge here. That earned the monastery royal protection, starting with the properties in a half-mile radius. In the early tenth century, the bishop of Lugo attempted to seize control and expelled the monks. The Counts Arias Menéndez and Gutierre Menéndez,were required to repopulate the new monastery with monks. Thereafter there were good relations between the monastery and the Count's family. In the same century it was reoccupied at the behest of King Ordoño II of León. From 960 the community lived under the rule of St. Benedict. The monastery of Samos enjoyed great importance during the Middle Ages. In 1558, already incorporated into the Royal San Benito of Valladolid, the monastery suffered a fire that forced its complete rebuilding. In the 12th century, the monastery joined the Cluniac reform movement, which strongly promoted the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This can still seen on the fence today.

In ancient times, Zafra was located on the Via de la Plata, a road fortified by the Romans between Hispalis (Seville) and Asturica Augusta (Astorga). There are ruins of several Roman estates in the area. In the early 8th century the region was taken by the Moors, whose rule under the Umayyads, Almoravids, and Almohads lasted until the 13th century. During the Reconquista, Zafra was captured twice, first in 1229 by Alfonso IX, and then in 1241 definitively by Ferdinand III. The area was then repopulated ("repoblación") by settlers from the north of the peninsula. In 1394, Henry III handed over the towns of Feria and Zafra to Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago. The "Via de la Plata", one of the many Caminos to Santiago runs through Zafra.

Tangermünde Castle was first mentioned in 1009 as "civitate Tongeremuthi" because this is where the Tanger (Tongera) flows into the Elbe. The city was first mentioned in 1275. From 1373 to 1378 Tangermünde was the second seat of Emperor Charles IV, who appointed his 12-year-old son Wenzel Elector of Brandenburg in 1373. After the death of Emperor Charles IV, there was a turbulent development in the Mark, until the Hohenzollerns were enfeoffed with the Mark as electors in 1415 and initially resided in Tangermünde. The heyday of the Hanseatic city was the 15th century, when the city gates and the town hall were built in the North German brick Gothic style. At this time, St. Stephen's Church was expanded into a Gothic hall church. The city lost the Elector's favor after the uprising of 1488, when the citizens rebelled against the beer tax. In 1617 the city burned down almost completely. After the fire, many magnificent half-timbered houses were built. Due to the Thirty Years' War, however, the city became a rather insignificant country town. - The predecessor of St. Stephan was a Romanesque basilica. It was in existence by 1188. Parts of this original building were reused in the construction of the present church. The transept of the former building gave the width of the new nave. Emperor Charles IV, who lived in Tangermünde between 1373 and 1378, founded a house of Augustinian Canons, to which he gave the church as a source of income. The canons conducted the services. During the late Middle Ages the construction took place in several phases of today's triple-aisled Gothic hall church. Firstly, after 1350, the northern wall of the nave and the southern wall were built, and in about 1405, the roof and the rib vaults. The prominent octagonal pillars are unusual. The south tower remains uncompleted to this day. In 1450 work began on the construction of the new choir, followed by the outside walls of the new ambulatory and also the arms of the transept. Only then was the old choir removed. The choir was roofed in 1475. The city-wide fire from 1617 damaged the church and the top part of the north tower collapsed. It was not restored until after 1714, when the tower received its present Baroque roof. This church is a stop on the Camino de Santiago that runs through Saxony-Anhalt So here is St. Jacques, waiting for the pilgrims. The sculpture was created around 1420/30.

Already in the 7th century, it was the location of a fortified Slavonic settlement, at a ford in the Vistula river. Thorn was established in 1231 under the administration of the Teutonic Order. The Teutonic Order had been called earlier by the Polish Duke Conrad of Mazovia to Christianize the pagan Baltic Pruzzes. However, the Order became active only after Emperor Frederick II granted it the right to rule over the land to be conquered in 1226. The foundation stone of the city of Thorn was laid in 1231 and soon after immigrants from Westphalia populated the town. In the 14th century, Thorn joined the Hanseatic League. The Order's efforts to simultaneously expand its sovereignty and control trade led to warlike conflicts. The city was captured by Poland in 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War however, after the First Peace of Thorn was signed in 1411, the city fell back to the Teutonic Order. In the 1420s, Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło built the Dybów Castle, located in present-day left-bank Toruń. In 1440, the gentry of Thorn co-founded the Prussian Confederation to further oppose the Knights' policies. The Confederation rose against the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in 1454 and its delegation submitted a petition to Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon asking him to regain power over the region as the rightful ruler. These events led to the Thirteen Years' War. The citizens of the city conquered the Teutonic castle and dismantled the fortifications. In May 1454, a ceremony was held in Toruń, during which the nobility, knights, landowners, mayors, and local officials solemnly swore allegiance to the Polish King. During the war, Toruń financially supported the Polish Army. The Thirteen Years' War ended in 1466, with the Second Peace of Thorn, in which the Teutonic Order renounced any claims to the city and recognized it as part of Poland. During the Great Northern War (Deluge), the city was besieged by Swedish troops. In the second half of the 17th century, tensions between Catholics and Protestants grew. In the early 18th century about half of the population, especially the gentry and middle class, was German-speaking and Protestant, while the other half was Polish-speaking Roman Catholic. The old town of Torun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - St. Jakub (St. James) was built from 1309 to the 15th century. The cornerstone for the construction was laid by Bishop Herman in 1309. In the same year, the construction of the presbytery began, which was covered with a stellar vault, In the 14th century, the parish was started to be managed by the cisterns, then the Benedictine nuns. In the years 1557-1667 the parish church belonged to the Evangelical community, then it was regained by the Benedictine nuns, who managed the temple until the 19th century. From then to the present day the parish church. Due to the characteristic shape and the many architectural details the church is one of the important examples of brick architecture in the Baltic Sea area. This church is a halt on the long "camino" to Santiago de Compostella.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. Le chemin / El camino is everywhere.

Reichenau Island is an island in Lake Constance. It lies west of the city of Konstanz. Since 1838 the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 because of the important Abbey of Reichenau founded in 724 by Saint Pirmin, with patronage that included Charles Martel, Count Berthold of the Ahalolfinger and the Alemannian Duke Santfrid (aka Hnabi). It gained influence in the Carolingian dynasty, by educating the clerks who staffed Imperial and ducal chanceries. An important book collection was built up here. The abbey housed a school, and a scriptorium and artists' workshop, that has a claim to have been the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, often known as the Reichenau School. The Abbey reached its apex under Abbot Berno of Reichenau (1008–48). During his time, important scholars lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the importance started to wane owing to rivalry with the nearby St. Gall. In 1540, the Bishop of Constance, an old rival of the Reichenau abbots, became lord of Reichenau, and, under the control of the succeeding bishops, the abbey's significance dwindled. The former abbey church "St. Maria and Markus" is the probably oldest existing church on the island. St. Primin erected a wooden church here in 724. Abbot Haito replaced this with a Carolingian basilica that was consecrated in 816. Parts of this church, are still preserved today in the crossing and in the east transept. After in 830 the abbey had received relics of the evangelist Mark from Venice, the abbey church got enlarged. When a Byzantine cross with a holy blood relic came to Reichenau in 925, a rotunda based on the model of the Holy Sepulcher was built. This Holy Blood Chapel was demolished together with the church´s Romanesque choir, when mid of the 15th century, a late Gothic choir was added to the basilica. Charlemagne´s great-grandson Emperor Karl III. (aka "Charles the Fat") was buried here at his own request. His grave slab contains the inscription "CAROLVS III IMPERATOR † 888". The disciples are gathered around Jesus. St. Jacques wears the shell on his hat.

All ways end in Santiago de Compostella.

Sicily, the largest of all Mediterranean islands, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire and became a Byzantine province. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. Palermo, founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians, became a possession of Carthage and later was part of the Roman Empire. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new Kingdom of Sicily and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Frederick II and King Conrad IV. Today Palermo is a bustling city with a population of about 700.000 plus - many many tourists. Where the Palermo Cathedral ist now, was a Byzantine basilica, probably founded by Pope Gregory I, in the 6th century. After their conquest of the city in the 9th century, the Saracens converted this building into the "Grand Mosque". When the Normans under Roger I took over Palermo the mosque became again a cathedral and the seat of the archbishop. After an earthquake had severely damaged the old building, it was decided to demolish and rebuild it. The new cathedral was erected from 1184 on. In the 14th to 16th centuries, the building underwent continuous expansions and Gothic remodelling. A rebuilding process from 1781 to 1801 changed the cathedral fundamentally. A classical dome above the crossing was erected and the roofs of the aisles got replaced by a series of smaller domes that now obscure the outer facade of the nave. So today the cathedral s a 3D-puzzle of bits and pieces of different times and different styles. Details of the portico from around 1465. St. James (Jaques, Jakob) in the center wears a "coquille" on his hat.