Why were minters carved onto a twelfth-century church façade in a town at the heart of the Camino de Santiago, with no mint of its own? That question opens onto a deeper story about one of the most celebrated pilgrimage routes of the Middle Ages.

 

The Land of Saint James unravels the mystery of these minters by placing them within the history of the shrine of St. James and the rise of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. In doing so, it reveals how the Camino helped create a money economy across the region. As wealth flowed along the pilgrim roads, it reshaped communities, redrawing social hierarchies and shifting the balance of power.

 

At the same time, the shrine’s growing wealth and influence made it a powerful force in the Christian reconquest of Spain, shaping the moral and political landscape. Drawing on a rich range of sources, the book brings this transformative moment to life, showing how money and spirituality reshaped power, belief, and everyday life.