In the Khmelnytsky region, the pilgrimage route of St. James, known as the Camino Podolico, now has even more landmarks. This summer and fall, “sun shells” were installed along the entire route, which will become new landmarks for pilgrims.
This was reported by the press service of Camino Podolico, according to the publication "Є" ("Ye").
The history of the symbol
There are many stories about why the scallop shell became a symbol of the Apostle James. According to one of them, after his martyrdom in Jerusalem, the body of the apostle was transported to Spain, but the ship was caught in a storm. When the waves brought the body ashore, it was covered with scallop shells, which helped to find his final resting place.
There are other explanations: scallop shells were often found on the pilgrimage route to the Church of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. Thus, the protectors of the pilgrims first introduced it as their own symbol. Additionally, along the way, people could use shells to mark themselves as pilgrims (to avoid robbery) and to collect water from springs and streams.
Locations marked with “sun shells”:
Hnivan - St. Joseph's Church (17 Podilska St.);
Brailiv - Church of Jesus of Nazareth (4 Tchaikovskoho Street);
Zhmerynka - St. Alexis Church (2 Kostelna Street);
Bar - St. Anne's Church (12 St. Nicholas Street);
Zinkiv - Zinkiv Village History Museum (Tsentralna Street);
Maliivtsi - Maliivtsi Historical and Cultural Museum (1 Michurina Street);
Dunaivtsi - Church of St. Michael the Archangel (30 Zahorodniy lane);
Kamianets-Podilskyi - the Church of St. Peter and Paul (20 Tatarska St.);
Panivtsi - the Church of St. James (Tserkovna Street).
As noted by Camino Podolico, the "sun shells" were made with grants from the Council of Europe and the European Commission.
The Camino Podolico (Podillia Way of St. James) is a cultural, educational, and pilgrimage route from Vinnytsia to Kamianets-Podilskyi via Bar, modeled after the St. James Way, which runs through Europe. It was launched in test mode with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation in 2021.
In 2024, after a two-year break due to the outbreak of a full-scale war, Camino Podolico resumed.