The Santiago de Compostela copy comprises five volumes and two appendices, totalling 225 double-sided
folios each 295 × 214 mm. Its oversized pages were trimmed down during a restoration in 1966. With some exceptions, each folio displays a single column of thirty-four lines of text. Book IV had been torn off in 1609, either by accident, theft or at the decree of
King Philip III, and it was reinstated during the restoration. The letter of Pope Calixtus II which opens the book, occupies both
recto and
verso of the first two folios. The author, who claims to be Calixtus II, tells how he collected many
testimonies on the good deeds of Saint James,
"traversing the cruel grounds and provinces for fourteen years". He also describes how the manuscript survived many hazards from fire to drowning. The letter is addressed "to the very holy assembly of the
basilica of
Cluny" and to "
Diego,
archbishop of Compostela".
Book I: Book of the Liturgies Book I (
Anthologia liturgica) accounts for almost half of all the codex and contains sermons and homilies concerning Saint James, two descriptions of his
martyrdom and official liturgies for his veneration. Its relative size and the information it contains on the
spiritual aspects of the pilgrimage make it the heart of the codex. The
Veneranda Dies sermon is the longest work in Book One and seems to have been part of the feast day celebrations for St. James (July 25). It commemorates the life, death and moving the remains of St. James to the church in Compostela; discusses the route to Compostela in both physical and spiritual terms; and celebrates the blessings of the saint bestowed on the pilgrims of the route, on Spain and on Galicia.
Book II: Book of the Miracles The
hagiographic Book II (
De miraculis sancti Jacobi) is an account of twenty-two miracles across Europe attributed to Saint James, both during his life and after his death. The recipients and witnesses to these miracles are often pilgrims.
Book III: Transfer of the body to Santiago Book III (
Liber de translatione corporis sancti Jacobi ad Compostellam) is the briefest of the five books and describes moving Saint James' body from
Jerusalem to his tomb at
Libredón in Galicia. Book III also describes the journey of Theodore and Athanasius, the disciples of Saint James, as they moved his body from
Padrón in a cart pulled by oxen to the Libredón forest (previously Liberum Donum), where he was buried. The journey is also described in stories involving
Queen Lupa. It also tells of the custom started by the first pilgrims of gathering souvenir
sea shells from the Galician coast. The
scallop shell is a symbol for Saint James.
Book IV: The History of Charlemagne and Roland Book IV (
Historia Caroli Magni et Rotholandi) is attributed to Archbishop
Turpin of
Reims and commonly referred to as
Pseudo-Turpin, although it is the work of an anonymous writer of the 12th century. It describes the coming of
Charlemagne to Spain, his defeat at the
Battle of Roncevaux Pass and the death of the knight
Roland. It relates how Saint James then appeared in a dream to Charlemagne, urging him to liberate his tomb from the
Moors and showing him the direction to follow by the route of the
Milky Way. This association has given the Milky Way an alternate name in Spain of
Camino de Santiago. The chapter also includes an account of Roland's defeat of the giant Saracen
Ferragut. This widely publicized and multi-copied book describing the legend of
Santiago Matamoros or 'St. James the Moorslayer' is considered by scholars to be an early example of
propaganda by the
Catholic Church to drum up recruits for the military
Order of Santiago. The Order was formed in order to help protect church interests in northern Spain from Moorish invaders. The
Military Orders of the
Middle Ages were closely associated with the
Crusades. In later years the legend became somewhat of an embarrassment in its depiction of Saint James as a bloodthirsty avenger 800 years after his death.
King Philip III ordered that Book IV be removed from the codex and for a while it circulated as a separate volume. Throughout northern Spain along the Way of St. James known as the
Camino Francés, most churches and cathedrals still have statuary and chapels applauding 'Saint James the Moorslayer'. Today this legend in northern Spain has cultural and historical significance that is completely separate from any of the original intentions by the Catholic Church.
Book V: A Guide for the Traveller Book V (
Iter pro peregrinis ad Compostellam) is a wealth of practical advice for pilgrims, informing them where they should stop,
relics they should venerate,
sanctuaries they should visit, bad food they should be wary of and commercial scams, including in the author's opinion, other churches who claimed to hold relics of St. James. The book provides a valuable insight into the life of the 12th-century
pilgrim. It also describes the city of
Santiago de Compostela and its cathedral. The popular appeal of Book V led to it achieving the greatest fame, and it has been described as the first
tourist's guide book. Among
Basque scholars, this account is considered as highly important because it contains some of the
earliest Basque words and phrases of the post-Roman period. In 1993,
UNESCO placed the Spanish section of the pilgrimage on the
World Heritage List, describing it as "a testimony to the power of the Christian faith among people of all social classes". The French section joined the list in 1998 when UNESCO declared the cultural and historical importance of the
World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. ==Music==