VQ Days in Galicia

The Via Querinissima Days in Galicia marked an important chapter in the ongoing journey to celebrate the legacy of Pietro Querini in Spagna. Over the course of two days, institutions, local communities, cultural organisations and students came together.

Day 1

Santiago International Tourism Fair

The Via Querinissima Days in Galicia opened with an important moment at the Santiago International Tourism Fair, where the new section of the route to Santiago along the Ría de Muros Noia, following in the footsteps of Pietro Querini, was officially presented.

This achievement was made possible thanks to the close collaboration with the Asociación de Concellos de Muros Noia, tourism operators and local authorities, who together contributed to reconstructing the exact itinerary followed by Querini from Muros-Noia to Santiago. The route, recognised by the Diocese of Santiago, also includes a fascinating stretch by sea from Baiona and Vigo, offering travellers the chance to collect the official Camino stamp.

What emerges is not just a geographical path, but a cultural and identity-rich journey. Local guides recount Querini’s experience by weaving together history, traditions and the evocative landscapes of Galicia. It is an immersive journey, one that blends memory, discovery and shared beauty.

Day 2

Draw Your Map” Competition by Via Querinissima

The second day of the Via Querinissima Days was dedicated to the young, with the awards ceremony of the “Draw Your Map” competition, created for students aged 7 to 14 to interpret and narrate Pietro Querini’s journey through their eyes and creativity.

Among the participants, the C.E.I.P. Ramón de Artaza e Malvárez School of Muros stood out, winning both the 7–11 and 12–14 age categories with two original, engaging and high-quality projects. The fourth class presented Journey with Pietro Querini, a beautifully crafted board game that brings the navigator’s story to life through quizzes, event cards, dice and playing pieces, an extraordinary work with strong educational and recreational potential. The fifth class proposed Antes e Agora , Yesterday and Today – Then and Now, an illustrated map retracing Querini’s route in Muros and enriched with elements from local myths and legends, seamlessly integrated into the Via Querinissima narrative.

During the event, our Vice President, Arne Ivar Mikalsen, also shared heartfelt reflections on the importance of the younger generations. He emphasised how they are not only essential for keeping cultural heritage alive, but also key contributors of new value bringing fresh imagination and insight that allow Querini’s journey to be rediscovered, reinterpreted and carried forward into the future.

The enthusiasm surrounding the projects particularly the board game, which has the potential to be further developed and distributed in museums and bookshops, highlighted once again how powerful and meaningful the involvement of schools can be in telling the stories behind Europe’s great cultural routes.

Querina Expedition Ballet

The day concluded with a remarkable artistic performance: the premiere of the Querina Expedition Ballet. The ballet recounted Pietro Querini’s journey, from Cádiz to Muros, along the route to Santiago and onward to the Arctic, through the universal language of dance.

Original music, evocative set design and expressive lighting created a captivating atmosphere, strengthened by dynamic choreography and vivid costume changes that enriched the narrative. It was a performance of notable artistic quality and emotional depth, an event that deserves to be promoted, replicated and shared widely.

Throughout the Via Querinissima Days, the contribution of the Galician communities emerged as a key element. They have embraced and reinterpreted the story of Pietro Querini through their own cultural lenses, making it part of their living heritage.

From education to the arts, from tourism to the work of local guides, Querini’s journey has become woven into the cultural fabric of the territory, a shared narrative that demonstrates how cultural heritage can take root in communities, generating new forms of knowledge, creativity and collective engagement.