Patron saint of Spain: Saint James the Apostle biography

James, son of Zebedee, disciple of Jesus Christ and later canonised as St James the Greater, is the patron saint of both Spain and Galicia. Saint James is known in Spanish as Santiago and he’s also the patron saint of Guatemala, Nicaragua and of fishermen. But why is Saint James the patron saint of Spain, when is his feast day and how is it celebrated? We explain all this and more in this guide to the Patron Saint of Spain facts.

Who was St James?

According to the New Testament, James, son of Zebedee was a fisherman in the Sea of Galilee in the time of Jesus Christ. He felt the calling of God to follow Jesus as his disciple and became one of the twelve apostles. His faith was true and he never doubted the Lord, having witnessed various miracles including Jesus’s appearance on the shores of Lake Tiberias, and His resurrection.

How did Saint James go to Spain?

The story tells that James came to Spain to preach and spread the message of Jesus after His death. In Roman times, Spain and Portugal were known by the name Hispania, and it’s thought that James arrived on the Peninsula either by boat via the Strait of Gibraltar or via modern day Tarragona.

The Spanish equivalent of the name ‘James’ is Santiago, and so there he was known by that name. He is believed to have started preaching in the northern Spanish region of Galicia, and for that reason he is hailed there as the patron saint of Galicia, as well as the whole of Spain in general.

How did St. James die?

Later, in the year 40 AD, the Virgin Mary appeared to each of the Apostles of Christ in turn to warn them of her impending death. James took the perilous journey back to Jerusalem to pay his respects but was captured and executed by beheading for heresy by King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44 AD. Although he died in Jerusalem, his remains were brought back to his beloved Galicia and a church erected above them. This was the beginnings of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and the body of St. James is said to be buried there to this day.

Why is James the Apostle the patron saint of Spain?

As we have seen, Santiago's life was linked to the Iberian Peninsula and according to tradition his body was brought to Galicia. For this reason, the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain has become the ending point of the pilgrimage route the Camino de Santiago, or St. James’s Way.

During the first years of the Reconquista (a period in the history of Spain that spans from 711 to 1492 when the Christian kingdoms of the north fought to recover the southern territories from Muslim hands), some peasants sounded the alarm and swore that after seeing a light in the sky they were guided to the tomb of the apostle. King Alfonso of Asturias ordered a church to be built over the cemetery (compositum), the origin of the future Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This is the beginning of Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James), which created a network that connected the small Christian kingdoms of northern Spain with the Carolingian Empire, ensuring a constant flow of logistical support to the poor Christian resistance soldiers.

Little by little, the Camino gained importance, with neighbourhoods and even entire villages called ‘burgos’ springing up along its length to cater for the foreigners who had come attracted by the idea of the trail. This hike along the St. James’s Way is now undertaken by thousands of people from all over the world every year, and there are various different routes you can take, either starting in Portugal and working upwards or starting from France and heading along the northern Spanish coast.

Santiago had already gained importance among Christian people, but it would not be until the Battle of Clavijo (in La Rioja) in the middle of the 9th century in which, according to tradition, the Christians of the Kingdom of Asturias, cornered in a castle, saw how the apostle appeared to them on horseback and helped them to win the battle in a heroic exit from the fortress. In this charge the Christians used for the first time the cry "Santiago y cierra España", a motto that would be used from that point on by the Spanish armies.

In addition, this victory ended with an annual tribute of 100 maidens to be paid by the Emirate of Cordoba. In reality, this battle never took place and it was probably a series of battles spread over years or decades for the control of that area. Even so, these events only increased the importance of James the Apostle in the Spanish tradition, and he ended up becoming the patron saint of Spain despite the fact it has never really been possible to prove that Santiago ever stepped on the peninsula.

How do Spanish people celebrate their patron saint day?

The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela / Wikimedia Commons

Both the Día del Apóstol Santiago, or St. James’s Day, and the Día de Galicia, or Galicia Day, are held on 25th July every year. To celebrate this day, Galician people hold a fiesta in the city of Santiago de Compostela, with a spectacular fireworks show over the cathedral, plus concerts and other street performances. There is also a special mass held in the cathedral which features the swinging of the enormous and famous incense burner, the botafumeiro.

Is there a female patron saint of Spain?

St. James the Apostle is not Spain’s only patron saint... there is another official female patron saint of Spain. Since 1644, the Immaculate Conception has been the patroness of Spain and the 8th December is also a national holiday, in her honour. For a short time after her death, Santa Teresa, the patron saint of the city of Ávila, was also considered as a candidate to become a national patron saint in Spain. However, this never came to pass and the Immaculate Conception of Jesus Christ by the Virgin Mary remains the co-patron of Spain and it's armed forces, as well as many other Spanish regions and countries around the world.