Spanish King and Queen attended the opening ceremony of the Jacobean Year

On July 12, 2021, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain attended the opening ceremony of the Jacobean Year 2021, which took place in the Navarra town of Roncesvalles. Roncesvalles is the starting point for pilgrims who will go to Santiago de Compostela. During their visit, the King and Queen of Spain visited the Alto de Ibañeta, the Church of Santa María and the Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles.

Camino de Santiago de Compostela was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO at its meeting in Cartagena de Indias in 1993. The Xacobeo, also known as Xacobean Year or Jacobean Year, grants pilgrims who visit the tomb of the Apostle in the Cathedral of Santiago the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence or forgiveness of all sins.

The Jacobean Year is celebrated every year in which the Day of the Saint James the Apostle (25 July) falls on a Sunday, as established by Pope Calixtus II in 1126, which coincides with the laying of the last stone of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It is usually celebrated about 14 times each century.