Tribute to Elías Valiña, inventor of the yellow arrows of the Camino de Santiago

The Pilgrim Welcome Office of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela has honored Father Elías Valiña, priest who created the yellow arrows for marking the Camino de Santiago, on the 35th anniversary of his death.

Father Valiña was a priest and theologian, and developed his pastoral life as a parish priest in the small town of Cebrero (O Cebreiro, in Galician), a reference point for pilgrims who walk to the tomb of the Apostle Santiago due to its proximity to the place.

Born in Sarria in 1929, he was ordained a priest in 1957 and remained in Cebrero until his death in 1989.

In the 60s he completed his studies in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, where he defended his doctoral thesis. The Camino de Santiago: historical-legal study.

His dedication to pilgrims and everything related to the Jacobean route was a constant in his life. He participated in numerous meetings and conferences, and, in the 80s of the 20th century, helped by volunteers, he traveled the entire so-called French Way, from Roncesvalles, to improve signage.

Thus was born the famous yellow arrow that today is an international emblem of the Camino de Santiago, in any of its variants. The fact that that color was used is purely coincidental, since the company in charge of painting the stripes on a nearby road gave him cans of leftover paint.

After the tribute ceremony held at the Pilgrim Reception Officea sculpture of the priest made by the artist Óscar Aldonza was discovered, who treated the commission by assigning to the figure of the priest the characteristic of “prophet” of the Camino de Santiago.

Not in vain, he was able to guess the importance that this route would have, which was revitalized from 1993 in an extraordinary way until today.

Starting from a photo of Father Valiña walking some stage of the Jacobean path in sports clothing, Aldonza points out in a testimony of the creative process shared during the event, that “the treatment does not correspond to a real garment, but rather evokes the iconography of the saints.” baroque”.

The use of heavy fabrics and folds is intended to place the priest “on a plane that is not strictly earthly,” which contrasts with the fact that the work shows Father Valiña as a living person, according to the author.

The figure also shows the inventor of the yellow arrows on the Camino de Santiago with his gaze raised towards the cathedral, which is located about 200 meters from the place where the piece has been installed.

“On his face there is also a slight smile of satisfaction, of having fulfilled his objective” of having guided the pilgrims to the apostle’s tomb.

The dean of the Cathedral of Santiago, Father José Fernández Lago, highlighted that Valiña “dedicated his life to working on other parallels” and that, in addition to his studies and his work in the parish, he considered “that one cannot live by liturgy alone.” , that you have to dedicate yourself much more to others.”