Rúa da Fonte dos Concheiros

Rúa da Fonte dos Concheiros

This street owes its name to a fountain where pilgrims used to drink (in Galician concheiros means shell bearers). It is located at the entrance of the French Way.

Before entering the city

When pilgrims arrived to this street, a simple clear road up to some decades ago, they were observed while approaching the city. ‘Chegan os concheiros’ –‘Pilgrims are arriving’- said in Galician the citizens of Compostela who offered them scallop shells and other products in the street before they entered the city.

Water and scallop shell

The original pilgrims’ fountain has disappeared but the current street Fonte dos Concheiros has a double jubilee meaning. It reminds how important fountains were for pilgrims, water is the most valuable sustenance throughout the Way, and the nearly sacred relevance of scallop shells, main jubilee symbol which is always present in walkers’ clothing and the reason why they were called Concheiros.
The name of this street refers to another confluence: the scallop shell was really useful to drink water and quench thirst and it was also considered, since the very beginning of pilgrimage, as a symbol of spiritual fertility and good deeds.