In the 11th century there was a young man walking the Camino de Santiago with his parents from Germany. On their way, they stopped in Santo Domingo de la Calzada for the night. At the inn they stayed in was a young woman who instantly fell in love with the young man. He, however, was not interested in her, which made her angry. She put a silver goblet in his bag and accused him of thievery. The town mayor sentenced the boy to death by hanging. His parents, in grief, continued their journey to Santiago de Compostela. On their return home from their pilgrimage they stopped in Santo Domingo de la Calzada to visit the grave of their son, but they found him still hanging and still alive. The boy told his parents that Santo Domingo had brought him back to life, that they should get the mayor to cut him down. The parents rushed to the mayors house to tell him of the miracle. When they arrived, the mayor was with company about to eat dinner. His response to them was, “if that boy is alive, then so are these two roasted chickens we’re about to eat.” Suddenly the chickens sprang to life and began to crow.
The miracle of Santo Domingo is celebrated to this day in the city and cathedral that honors his name. After arriving into the city, I went in and toured the cathedral that keeps live, a holy hen and rooster to commemorate the beloved miracle. This week is the festival of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. We were pleasantly treated to a special mass and concert in the cathderal, where Santo Domingo’s crypt is prominently located. At the end of the mass, the congregants gathered around his tomb and sang a song of celebration. In the mass you coukd hear the two chickens cackling, which cracked me up.
Prior to arriving in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, we walked from Najera through picturesque villages and towns on a fairly simple 14 mile day. The highlight of the day was the city of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where we stayed in a monastery run by nuns. The town has a massive belltower in the square. I climbed to the top for an amazing view before the celebratory mass started in the cathedral.
Rick's Camino de Santiago 
What a story, so interesting. Love all the photos.
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