A yellow arrow to find the man who helped thousands of people find the Way. The Santiago Pilgrim Welcome Office has completed the tribute to Elías Valiña with a sign painted on the ground and a plaque with a QR code next to his sculpture. The intervention, presented this Friday, November 6, allows us to get closer to the career of the priest from O Cebreiro through a biographical documentary.
A yellow arrow that leads to Elías Valiña
The sculpture is the work of the artist Óscar Aldonza. Its promotion corresponded to the Association of Culture and Rural Development (ACUDE Rural) and the Compostela Association of Friends of the Caminos de Santiago (ACASA), with the support of the Cathedral of Santiago Foundation.
The new painted element marks the location of the monument. Next to it, the plaque facilitates access to a documentary in different languages, with subtitles also in Chinese, according to the Cathedral. Thus, the tribute offers information beyond the name of the priest and allows international visitors to learn about his contribution.
The precedent is documented in the Cathedral's own call for December 11, 2024. That event, organized on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Valiña's death, included the discovery of the sculpture in the building's garden and the screening of the documentary directed by Aser Álvarez.
O Cebreiro, the place from which he worked along the Camino
Elías Valiña Sampedro, born in 1929 and died in 1989, was parish priest of O Cebreiro since 1957. His connection with that enclave of the French Way allows us to understand the relationship between his studies on pilgrimage and the daily care of those who arrived on foot.
The Cathedral highlights its work in shelters and reception spaces, in addition to its dedication to researching and disseminating the Jacobean routes. He also remembers that he served as Commissioner of the Camino and edited the Bulletin of the Camino de Santiago, the predecessor of the magazine Peregrino.
The official website of the Camino de Santiago in Galicia dates back to 1984 when Valiña promoted the signage with yellow arrows. That work contributed to giving visibility to an itinerary that today many pilgrims recognize precisely because of those marks.
At RTV Camino de Santiago we have also addressed the story of the yellow arrow and its relationship with Elías Valiña. The Compostela tribute now returns that relationship to the welcoming space that receives walkers at the end of their pilgrimage.
A documentary to know the person behind the symbol
The audiovisual proposal of Arraianos Produciones brings together the contributions of experts, friends and family. His interest is in reconstructing a personal trajectory from different voices, along with graphic materials linked to the priest.
The producer explains that the multimedia project traces the relationship between O Cebreiro and Compostela and that she recovered photographs and slides thanks to the collaboration of the family. This material is integrated into a dissemination initiative that also includes a traveling exhibition.
Those who are not in Santiago can consult directly the project about Elías Valiña on the Arraianos website. The audiovisual work and the exhibition are presented there, with information in Galician, Spanish and English.
The memory of the priest also appears in other Jacobean initiatives. This same week, the Elías Valiña Awards have given visibility to the work carried out in Croatia and Lithuania. They are different actions, but both allow us to get closer to a legacy that continues to be linked to people and associations that keep the paths alive.
How to approach the tribute when arriving in Santiago
The Pilgrim Welcome Office is at Rúa das Carretas, number 33. The sculpture is located in the garden of the building, the place indicated in the original call for the tribute. To organize a visit, it is advisable to consult the current information of the Office and ask about access to that space.
The tribute in Santiago allows us to finish the tour by getting to know better one of the people who worked to make it possible: Elías Valiña, the priest of O Cebreiro.
Sources: The Galician Post; Cathedral of Santiago: expansion of the tribute; Cathedral of Santiago: call for 2024; Camino de Santiago in Galicia; Arraianos Productions; Pilgrim's Office; Signage recommendations.
