Those who walk the Camino de Santiago (or any other pilgrimage route, for that matter) can rest assured that the roads are safe, signposted and well-trodden. Most importantly, they know that at the end of their journey, they will find a hostel that offers bed and board at a very affordable price. Some of them even offer specialized care for sore feet!
That was not the case centuries ago, when trekking through mountains and swamps was a risky business. Pilgrims had to be prepared to fight wolves, thieves, and blizzards, without guides or weapons, and sometimes alone. They also had to contend with “portazgos” –fees that had to be paid to use certain roads. Each pilgrimage was an odyssey –the adventure of a lifetime.
Indeed, most pilgrims divided their inheritance and said goodbye to their families before leaving, trusting that Providence would provide charitable souls to help them reach their destination –and maybe even return home. Helping a pilgrim soon became a remarkable act of charity. Disinterested hospitality was, and still is, a true value associated with pilgrimage.
In the Middle Ages, pilgrimages became so popular that the authorities eventually created laws and institutions to protect them. Soon medieval hospitals (those legendary charitable and social institutions that offered shelter, food and medical care to pilgrims) were built virtually everywhere. A key figure was then born: the hospitalero, responsible for welcoming pilgrims and even going out to look for them if they were caught in a snowfall or storm.
Over time, these old hospitals gave rise to two completely different institutions: the hospitals we know today, and the pilgrims’ hostels. Along the Camino de Santiago you can still find the remains of the very first medieval hospitals. If you are walking the Camino Primitivo, as you arrive in Pola de Allande, you can follow the route of the old hospitals in the Asturian mountains.
What were medieval hospitals like?
Medieval hospitals varied in size and capacity, but they all had the same main features. They all offered lodging and food to pilgrims –although the quality of these services depended on the economic resources and size of the hospital.
The older and better-equipped hospitals had several rooms, with separate dormitories and infirmaries for men and women. Smaller hospitals tended to be simple family homes with very few rooms. There were hospitals in cities, such as that of the Catholic Kings in Santiago, but hospitals could also be found in the middle of swamps or high in the mountains –as in the case of Montouto, which was still up and running well into the 20th century.
The development of this hospital network began in the 11th century, when pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela became tremendously popular. They were often maintained by military orders, such as the Knights Templar or the Knights of Saint John.
At first, the hospitals only offered shelter and food. Over time, and thanks to advances in medical science, some hospitals began to provide specialized health care, with wards for the sick and the services of apothecaries and physicians.
But not only did they provide physical relief. They also helped with spiritual preparation. Pilgrims were required to participate in religious acts, pray for the souls of the founders of the hospitals, and attend Mass before continuing their journey. If a pilgrim died in the hospital, he was buried with great solemnity, accompanied by the hospital community and the local faithful.
The medieval hospitals for pilgrims were once fundamental institutions in the development and consolidation of the Camino de Santiago –and other pilgrimage roads then. Their legacy lives on in history as a testimony to the solidarity and sense of community that characterized the peoples and cultures that grew and gathered around these routes.
