Routes of Santiago de
Compostela in France
The four main pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in France began at Paris, Vézelay, Le Puy, and Arles respectively, and each of these was fed by a number of subsidiary routes.
Thus, the start of the Paris route saw the convergence of routes from Boulogne, Tournai, and the Low Countries, whilst routes from Caen, Mont-Saint-Michel, and Brittany joined it at intermediate points such as Tours, Poitiers, Saint-Jean-d'Angély, and Bordeaux (which also served as the port for pilgrims coming by sea from England and coastal areas of Brittany and Normandy).
Le Puy was the link with the Rhône valley, whilst those coming from Italy passed through Arles. The three western routes converged at Ostabat, crossing the Pyrenees by means of the Ibaneta pass, whilst the eastern route from Arles used the Somport pass; the two routes joined in Spain at Puente-la-Reina.
The total length identified as being associated with the pilgrimage is over 5000km, but only seven short sections on the Le Puy route (the via podensis of the Codex) are coherent enough for inclusion in the nomination.
The national survey of Santiago de Compostela routes in France has identified some 800 properties of all kinds that have associations with the pilgrimage. In this inscription, 71 properties were selected. In addition, seven stretches of the Chemin du Puy are included in the nomination.