Welcome to the News page of the American Pilgrims on the Camino web site!

It is our intention to post here timely information and news related to the Camino that will be of general interest to the public at-large and to members of American Pilgrims.

Late-Breaking News and Topical Items:

• 1/31/12: Spanair files for bankruptcy protection. Spanair, Spain's second largest air carrier, has filed for bankruptcy protection and abruptly and without forewarning ceased operations as of this past Friday night. More than 22,000 passengers were left stranded over the weekend. See the articles at The Wall Street Journal, The Catalan News Agency and The Washington Post. The layoff of Spanair's several thousand employees will do nothing but add to Spain's unemployment crisis. Data recently released by the National Statistics Institute show that the country's unemployment figure has surpassed the 5 million mark, with the jobless rate shooting up from 21.5 percent to 22.8 percent in the fourth quarter. (The Washington Post)

• 1/23/12: 2011 Camino statistics are out! For those among you who don't use statistics as a sleep aid, you'll be thrilled to know that the 2011 numbers are out! There are some non-surprises and some surprises. A complete rundown can be found on our dedicated statistics page but in summary:
     • The total number of compostelas issued by the Pilgrims Welcome Office in Santiago during 2011 was 186,504 which is more or less on the long term trend line for non-Holy Years.
     • The number of compostelas issued to U.S. citizens during 2011 was 3,747 which was actually greater than the number issued to U.S. citizens during 2010 (3,338), the Holy Year. Americans stayed away from the Camino in 2010 relative to the total population on the route. The percentage of the compostelas issued to U.S. citizens during 2011 was 2.0% of the total number compared to only 1.2% in 2010.
     • While absolute numbers for all of the more common routes continue to climb year by year (ignoring the Holy Year phenomenon) the percentage of those traveling the French route continues its gradual decline at the expense primarily of the portugués and the norte. Between 2006 and 2011 the francés declined from 82% of the total to 72%. As the great majority of first-time travelers choose the francés, this is likely due to repeat peregrinos.
     • American Pilgrims is proud to note that we issued 1,859 credentials for peregrinos who set out during 2011, up from 1,598 during 2010 and about two-and-a quarter times the number we issued four years ago.

• 7/9/11: (12/22/11: This remains on our News page simply because there has been, as far as we have seen, not one word about this extraordinary event since last July.) Codex Calixtinus manuscript stolen from Santiago Cathedral. In a shocking announcement four days ago the Santiago Cathedral released the information that the Codex Calixtinus was apparently stolen Sunday afternoon (July 3rd). Archivists did not notice its disappearance, however, until Tuesday. The priceless 12th-century illustrated manuscript contains what has been described as Europe's first travel guide.

The local Correo Gallego newspaper reported that distraught cathedral staff spent hours searching for the manuscript before contacting police late that night. "Although security systems have been improved considerably it is true to say that they are not of the kind one might find in a bank or a well-protected jewelers," the newspaper reported.

Only five security cameras were in use in the archive area, according to the newspaper, and none were pointing directly at the safe where the priceless manuscript was stored. Police reportedly believe that a black market dealer in antique manuscripts may have commissioned the robbery.

The Codex was rarely removed from its safe and researchers wishing to study it generally were provided a copy kept in the same archive. The uniqueness of the work would make it unsaleable on the open market.

Read reports in The Guardian, BBC News, El País (Spanish), La Voz de Galicia (Spanish).