‘This exhibition will introduce the Italian public to a gesture, the pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Santiago de Compostella in Gali-cia, and to a tradition which, because of their great age and continuing topicality represent one of the most significant moments in the construction of European civilisation. Even if the golden period of the Camino de Santiago was the middle-ages, the flow of pilgrims to this site still remains strong with few interruptions and has today, with the celebration of the Compostella “Holy Years” taken on renewed vigour. A recent deliberation of the Council of Europe which declares the pilgrimage as the ‘Major European cultural itinerary’ highlights its great historic and cultural significance, though it would be over-simplifying things to consider it only for the paramount role which it has played in the history of art and culture, forgetting its reli-gious importance, which remains the most genuine aspect of this gesture – the faith of millions of pilgrims who, over the centuries, have travelled the roads of Europe. The exhibition intends illustrating both the cultural importance of the Camino de Santiago, as the seed from which great art, music and literature were born and its religious dimension, gesture which the church has always considered as a privileged opportunity for conversion offered to Man. By means of photographic panels, most of which from the Zodiaque archives in France – plus some pieces from Spanish and Italian museums, the most important stages of the Camino will be re-evoked along the four French itineraries from St. Gilles, Le Puy, Vézelay, Tours) and the Spanish section of the route from the Pyrenees to Galicia. Particular focus will be put on Italian testimonies thanks to the co-o-peration of the ‘Centro Italiano di Studi Compostellani’ of Perugia which, for many years now, has collected together documentation concerning the tradition of Santiago in our country. This exhibition represents an opportunity for the people of our country to become better acquainted with the place where, in August, 1989, The International Youth Encounter will be held, with the par-ticipation of Pope John Paul II.’