Jose Manuel Fernandez Castineiras, a former electrician for Spain's famed cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, went on trial on Monday for the alleged stealing of a priceless illumined manuscript, a 12th-century Codex Calixtinus that is considered to be Europe’s first travel guide.

The 225-document offers travel advice for pilgrims following the Camino de Santiago, a trek that attracts hundreds of thousands of faithful each year. The codex also offers spiritual praise and prayers dedicated to Saint James, the patron saint of pilgrims, knights, and laborers.

Jose Manuel Fernandez Castineiras appeared in court with his wife and son. Authorities found the precious Codex in the ex-electrician’s garage in 2012, along with 1.2 million euros.

Jose Manuel Fernandez Castineiras’ lawyer Carmen Ventoso argued that all of the evidence should be thrown out, saying, according to the Guardian, that the confession and the security video showing the ex-electrician in a cathedral office stuffing money into his pants pockets was full of “mistakes” and left Castineiras the victim of a “Guantánamo-like process.”

Aside from the Codex, which went missing in 2011, authorities discovered other valuable religious books.

Castiñeiras had worked at the Santiago de Compostela cathedral for more than 25 years before being let go in 2011.

He had been suing cathedral authorities for wrongful dismissal at the time of the codex went missing.

Castineiras faces charges of theft and money laundering.

Prosecutors are calling for a 15-year jail term and for a €300,000 fine.

More than 60 witnesses, a number which takes into account senior clergy from the cathedral, are expected to be called during the trial.

The still popular pilgrimage across northern Spain to the cathedral in the northwestern Galicia region was inspired by the reputed discovery of the apostle's tomb around the year 800.

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