He belongs to one of the eras that most contributed to enhancing the Way of Saint James (Camino de Santiago). He is part of the route itself through his personhood and his life’s work. He left his mark on one of the stages of this Way, which has been tirelessly traversed for centuries by numerous pilgrims who come to pray before the tomb of the Apostle James.

He was a contemporary of Saints Dominic of Silos and John of Ortega, who were witnesses to his virtue. His parents, Ximeno García and Orodulce, welcomed him with joy when he was born in Vitoria de Rioja (Burgos, Spain) around the year 1019. They could not have imagined the significance their child would have, but the impact of his existence—blessed with numerous miracles—remains alive to this day.

His family owned various properties which they put at the service of others. Surely, the relevance of what he experienced in a home marked by selflessness must have breathed into Dominic an early aspiration for religious life. Indeed, his four-year formative stage alongside the Benedictine monks of Nuestra Señora de Valvanera in Logroño, where he arrived around 1031, sparked a clear longing to join the community.

There, he had become imbued with the richness amassed by these humble followers of Christ—men seasoned in prayer, work, and study; experts in science, skilled miniaturists, and creators of unique jewels and incunabula that continue to highlight the fruitfulness of monastic life and the splendor of an era that still endures.

Despite this great cultural heritage, Dominic had to depart without achieving his goal of living with the monks for the rest of his days. Perhaps the abbot did not wish to overshadow the future of his parents, who had placed their hopes in the heir—especially since, his father having already passed away, he did not want to increase Orodulce’s grief.

But Dominic tried again, going to the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, another of the neighboring spiritual and cultural bastions. His efforts were unsuccessful there as well. It seems God had chosen for him the eremitic life, solitude, and the fruitful purgative way of silence—at least for a time, as His plans went further. He retired to Ayuela (or Fayuela), a small hill surrounded by holm oaks near the site now known as Domingo de la Calzada, to give glory to the Most High.

His dwelling was a ruined hermitage around which he cultivated the fertile land to provide for his needs without depending on alms. He was a worthy heir to the genuine eremitic tradition and lived as such until the year 1039. This date marks the beginning of his collaboration with the Bishop of Ostia, Gregory, who had traveled to the town of Calahorra with a papal mandate to help the people rid themselves of an insidious locust plague invading their fields.

It was Gregory who ordained him a priest. Together, they built a wooden bridge to cross the Oja River, thinking primarily of alleviating the access difficulties faced by pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela.

The prelate passed away in 1044, and Dominic continued working tirelessly on his own. When the river changed its course and the original bridge was no longer viable, he began the complex task of replacing it with a stone one. He dedicated his own assets to this important construction, in addition to practicing almsgiving to contribute to the high costs of materials and labor.

By the end of 1046, he completed this work of engineering: a splendid bridge with 24 arches over the Oja River, which facilitated the constant flow of pilgrims. It still exists today. But his contribution to the Way of Saint James had only just begun. He later expanded it with new infrastructure: hostels, a hermitage dedicated to Saint Mary, a hospital to aid pilgrims, and the creation of paved roads (calzadas).

Alongside John of Ortega, he altered the original Roman route, moving it southward for the benefit of travelers, thus consolidating the passage through Nájera and Redecilla del Camino. Because of this action, the town is known as Saint Dominic “of the Road” (de la Calzada).

He had the support of nobles and King Alfonso VI of Castile, who recognized the importance of the Way of Saint James (a European Cultural Route since 1998) at every level. It contributed to progress and was decisive in establishing the Castilian language in that privileged environment.

Dominic attracted the cultural heritage that accompanies this route, as the footprint of the Way is seen in the splendid Romanesque architecture surrounding it and in other arts that flourished alongside it: music, painting, sculpture, etc., as well as intangible assets like customs, languages, and thought.

The Miracle of the Rooster and the Hen

Countless miracles are attributed to him. One of the most popular occurred in the 14th century at an inn. It involved a couple traveling to Santiago de Compostela with their son. The innkeeper’s daughter fell in love with the boy, and seeing her feelings were not returned, she plotted revenge by hiding a silver object in the youth’s knapsack.

She then denounced him, a crime for which he was sentenced to death by hanging. However, he did not lose his life, as his parents discovered the following day. The young man explained that he owed his life to Dominic, who had saved him from the suffocating rope. The local magistrate (corregidor) was informed of the event by the boy’s overjoyed parents.

At that moment, the magistrate had a plate with a roasted rooster and hen in front of him and was preparing to eat. Skeptical, he replied to the couple that their son was “as alive as these birds.” Instantly, the roasted birds crowed, testifying to the authenticity of the miracle.

This gave rise to the saying: “Santo Domingo de la Calzada, donde cantó la gallina después de asada” (Saint Dominic of the Road, where the hen sang after being roasted).

Dominic died on May 12, 1109. Although there is no record of his formal canonization date, he was already inscribed as a saint in the Martyrology of 1584. He is the patron saint of civil engineers.