The fact that a place on the Iberian Peninsula is included in the list of the three most famous pilgrimage destinations in the Christian world – along with Jerusalem and Rome – is thanks to one of Jesus' apostles, who is said to have preached here. After his martyrdom, which is briefly reported in the Acts of the Apostles, his body miraculously found its final resting place here: Saint James the Greater. A small local sanctuary was initially built over his grave; later, a city developed that even bears his name (Santiago de Compostela), and the church in his honor became a cathedral, i.e., a bishop's church. According to national legend, Saint James also played a key role in the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors and is the patron saint of Spain.
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