Le Puy

Le Puy was one of the pilgrimage sites on route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, home of the shrine dedicated to Saint James, the patron saint of Spain. The symbol of Saint James, the scalloped shell, became the primary symbol representing pilgrims. French pilgrimage routes to Compostela tend to follow old Roman roads, many of which continued to be utilized as primary roads of communication during the Middle Ages. Le Puy is a site of unknown antiquity, although estimated to have gone through a period of Roman habitation. Pilgrimages from Le Puy to Compostela began as early as the 6th century. This city became the starting location for one of the four main pilgrimage routes, specifically for German and Teutonic pilgrims. Le Puy is a manufacturing city, located in south-central France in the mountainous volcanic region. It is the site of the 12th-century Romanesque Cathedral of Notre-Dame as well as a Gothic church.