Note: Vézelay is located on a hill on the left bank of the Cure River where a Benedictine abbey was founded in the 9th century; the town population increased after the reputed remains of St. Mary Magdalene were deposited at the abbey. Vézalay was also an important site for recruitment for the Second Crusade in the mid-12th century and it 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.
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