The Shell Symbol: A Sign on the Streets of Paris

[annnash]

You never know where you will see the shell symbol. St James statuary at the Cluny museum. And then on the street! I'm not walking the Camino now, but seeing it unexpectedly here is a sign I should be.

 

[mspath]

annnash,

What happy serendipity this was for you!

When you stand once again on the
medieval rue Saint Jacques which pilgrims followed to leave the city walk it a bit and ponder history.

Take a deep breath, relax and just enjoy it! As an American who has lived 40+ years in France both in Paris and the champagne region for me as Thomas Jefferson wrote “a walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.”

Bon Chemin and Buen Camino!

 

[JabbaPapa]

That's the Camino, down from the Tour Saint Jacques, past Notre Dame, the Sorbonne, rue Saint Jacques and rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques.

Started down that way on my 1994, though I turned right towards a different route near the Sorbonne.

 

[Kathor1]

You never know where you will see the shell symbol. St James statuary at the Cluny museum. And then on the street! I'm not walking the Camino now, but seeing it unexpectedly here is a sign I should be.

There are about 70 of these round metal markers on the streets of Paris, thanks to an initiative of the Camino association Compostelle 2000. It started in 2017 in the north of Paris when the first markers were installed at the Parc de la Villette. If I understand correctly, they are currently working to get the city administration to have these clous-coquilles installed in Paris-Centre and at the foot of the Tour Saint-Jacques.

If you live in Paris you may want to vote for this. For some info about the project and about the most recent instalment in September 2022, see this link:
https://compostelle2000.org/events/inauguration-des-clous-coquilles-de-la-rue-saint-jacques/

 

[Kathor1]

thanks to an initiative of the Camino association Compostelle 2000. It started in 2017 in the north of Paris when the first markers were installed at the Parc de la Villette.

Here is some more information about about the project of marking the Camino to Santiago through Paris with bronze markers on the streets.

Balisage à travers Paris – Compostelle 2000

compostelle2000.org

 

[sillydoll]

Planning to walk from Paris in 2004 I bought the CSJ guide PARIS TO THE PYRENEES. I also bought the PARIS PILGRIM city guide, which covered 2 walking itineraries, one from the north of the Seine (starting at Tour St Jacques) and the other starting from the west end of Notre-Dame. Both itineraries took 2 - 3 hours following all the historical St Jacques signs and symbols. I don't think its in print anymore but I made copies of the pages so that we could tear them out as we trekked all around the city in search of all things Jacobean - Rue-St-Jacques, Tour St Jacques, Notre-Dame, St-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas etc etc.

 

[t2andreo]

You never know where you will see the shell symbol. St James statuary at the Cluny museum. Andwerpo, Belgium. I lived near ther for several years, before I found the Camino. thenronze shells inthe pave,net leading form the CHiurch of St. Hames in Ant on the street! I'm not walking the Camino now, but seeing it unexpectedly here is a sign I should be.

I also found many similar bronze shells in the pavement in Antwerp Belgium. I lived near there for several yeas and discovered these 'odd shells' some years before I learned what the Camino was.

They led from the Church of Saint James, there - leading one to follow the path heading south along the River Scheldt, from Antwerp, south across Belgium, into France, then Paris, and finally to join the major routes heading towards Santiago de Compostela farther south in France and in Spain. Once finding our and starting my Camino life, I wondered about returning to start a Camino from Antwerp. I never got farther than wonder though.

Hope this helps the dialog.

Tom

 

[Kathor1]

It is a bit unusual perhaps, or perhaps not, that the Paris city administration(s) have not been keen on installing markers for the Camino de Santiago through Paris from north to south. It seems to have been an uphill battle for the Camino associations and they have to deal with every city district separately (Paris has 20 districts that are numbered from I to XX). I was a paying member of Compostelle 2000 for numerous years and have been aware of this long battle for quite some time.

I don't know in which parts of Paris these bronze markers have been installed by now and where this is still just a dream project but eventually the trail shown in the map below will have a bronze shell marker every 25 to 30 meters. It is 9 km in total.

It is actually quite easy to find your Chemin to Compostelle through Paris without any yellow arrows or bronze markers. At least I had no difficulties. Finding your way on your own is, in any case, more "authentic".

Source for map: They want to mark the Way to Compostela in Paris

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

You never know where you will see the shell symbol. St James statuary at the Cluny museum. And then on the street! I'm not walking the Camino now, but seeing it unexpectedly here is a sign I should be.

Paris also has Rose Line Symbols in the streets.

The Arago Medallions of Paris

If you look down at your feet whilst wandering through the centre of Paris, you might just spot an Arago Medallion. These 135 bronze markers set into the streets cut a perfectly straight line throu…

stickymangorice.com

 

[CarrieJL]

Cool! Met a peregrino on last Summer’s Camino Frances who stumbled upon this one marker to learn what it meant and took up on it.

 

[backpack45]

You never know where you will see the shell symbol. St James statuary at the Cluny museum. And then on the street! I'm not walking the Camino now, but seeing it unexpectedly here is a sign I should be.

The route from Paris is one of the four major routes from France-- Paris, Le Puy, Vezelay, Arles. Glad that the city's pilgrim office is marking the streets to make route finding easier.

 

[Wanderingfriend]

You never know where you will see the shell symbol. St James statuary at the Cluny museum. And then on the street! I'm not walking the Camino now, but seeing it unexpectedly here is a sign I should be.

And at Notre Dam

 

[Charbias]

You never know where you will see the shell symbol. St James statuary at the Cluny museum. And then on the street! I'm not walking the Camino now, but seeing it unexpectedly here is a sign I should be.

I remember being ecstatic when I saw it - especially as I wasn't expecting to see it. I'm fortunate to be on my way in May - going to walk from Lisbon to Porto