José Carlos de Santiago Invested as Knight of the Santiago Pathways Order
José Carlos de Santiago, CEO of the Excelencias Group, was invested as Knight of the Santiago Pathways Order by the vice president of the Order, Alejandro Rubin, during an extraordinary meeting held at San Francisco Church, Santiago del Estero city, where 11 new members were knighted as well.
The Sponsor of José Carlos de Santiago’s investiture was Patricia Hernández Ruiz, Honorary President of the Latin American Spa Association and Commander of the Order. The ceremony was attended by the Galicia’s Secretary of Tourism, Nava Castro, and Santiago del Estero’s Undersecretary of Tourism, Rubén Ricardo Sosa, who was also knighted.
The Santiago Order is a religious and military order founded back in the 12th century, during León’s Reign. It was named after the national patron saint of Spain: Santiago el Mayor. Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrims of Santiago Pathways and drive the Muslims out of the Iberian Peninsula.
After the passing of Grand Master Alonso de Cárdenas, in 1493, the Catholic Kings added the Order to the Crown of Spain and Pope Adriano 6th joined the mastership of Santiago to the crown in 1523.
The First Republic left the Order out in 1873 and, although it was reestablished during the Restoration, it was reduced to an honorific noble institute managed by a Higher Council that was run by the Ministry of War, which disappeared after the proclamation of the 2nd Republic, in 1931.
The Santiago Order, along with the orders of Calatrava, Alcántara and Montesa, was reestablished as a civil association during the reign of Juan Carlos 1st, as an honorific and religious noble organization, and it presently stands as such.
New members join this Millennial Order every year by swearing their position in the General Chapter that takes place at Santiago de Compostela or in the Special Chapters that are held around the world. Nowadays, counting Knights and Ladies of the World, there are 1,007 members distributed in 25 countries.
