Curiosidades

Home

Curiosities

EUNATE Y OLCOZ. UN INQUIETANTE JUEGO DE ESPEJOS

Sugerente leyenda - cargada de referencias mitológicas - que cuentan los lugareños.

Comienza esta historia con el inicio de las obras de Santa María. Por alguna razón no muy precisa, el maestro (miembro de la comunidad) encargado de tallar el pórtico ha de ausentarse. La edificación continúa sin él hasta que ya próxima su conclusión, ante la tardanza del maestro, los monjes se ven obligados a recurrir a un viejo y gigantesco cantero (hijo y nieto también de canteros) que habita en el valle.

VILLAMAYOR OF MONJARDÍN

When Charlemagne, in his advance south along the Way of St James, was close to the Garzini hill (Monjardín), he was informed that a Navarre leader called Furro or Furré was ready to fight him.

SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA, WHERE THE ROASTED COCK CROWED AGAIN

Opposite the tomb stands the famous hen cage containing a live cock and hen, in commemoration of the famous miracle that Aymeric Picaud places in Toulouse and which happened at the beginning of the 15th C. The historian, Huidobro, narrates it as follows: "a Germany couple from Santu, near Wesel and Res, in the archbishopric of Cologne decided to keep their promise and make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, accompanied by a son of theirs, a handsome young man. Having heard about the miracles of the holy sepulchre, they halted in Santo Domingo and visited the church, where they prayed devoutly.Tired after their journey, the pilgrims then sought out an inn where they stayed for two days: the innkeeper's daughter fell madly in love with the young pilgrim, declared her love to him and was rejected. She therefore decided to get her revenge and, taking a silver cup, she hid it amongst the young man's baggage whilst he was asleep":

MAGICAL BIERZO. THE SECRET OF THE TEMPLARS

Molinaseca stands at the foot of the mountain pass, with the sanctuary of the Virgin of Las Angustias (of anguish) at its entrance. It is said that churchgoers and harvesters alike would pull a splinter of wood from the sanctuary door on their outward journey (a custom which the pilgrims have taken up) and, on their return, they would throw their sickles they had been working with through the grating. After crossing the bridge, you will come to the long Calle Real (Royal Street) flanked by many buildings bearing coats of arms. A small channel runs along this stony street, carrying clean water from the river Miruelo and formerly used to keep the street clean. This medieval system, which also existed in Puente la Reina in Navarre, is still used in Molinaseca on the 15th August, the last day of the village fiestas in honour of the patron saint. The parish church is dedicated to St Nicholas.

LA PIADOSA LEYENDA DE SAN GUILLÉN Y SANTA FELICIA

Dejando atrás Eunate, el Camino pasa tangente a la villa de Obanos, en donde es imprescindible evocar la leyenda de Guillén y Felicia. Felicia y su hermano Guillén - sucesor del poderoso ducado de Aquitania - viven holgada y confortablemente es sus ricos señoríos. Un día, ella decide peregrinar a Compostela, siguiendo un rito hondamente arraigado en su familia desde que Guillermo X viniese a morir en Santiago, un 9 de abril - Viernes Santo - de 1137.

VIANA AND CÉSAR BORGIA

César Borgia, who was greatly admired by Niccolo Machiavelli, and whose reputation as an adventurer and libertine transcended all frontiers, linked his name to that of Navarre in 1491 when, at the age of 16, he was appointed Bishop of Pamplona. Destined to become Pope (or Cesar) his life was divided between his studies, the hazards of fortune and Vatican diplomacy. He was a prince. A warrior. A cardinal at the age of 19 and captain general of the military forces of the church at 22. At the age of 24 (1499) he married Carlota d'Albret in Blois.

THE OCA HILLS

The name Oca or goose relates these hills to a symbol that is much used by medieval builders - the goose leg - and also to this mythical animal itself. Goose symbols are found time and time again along the Way in different forms. There are even those who claim that the popular Goose game with its sequence of geese and bridges and its labyrinth lay-out is a replica of the Way of St James and that the stone masons themselves might even have invented the game and made it popular.

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

The cathedral of Santiago was designed with a floor-plan and series of special characteristics that come within a particular category of Romanesque architecture, commonly termed "Pilgrimage Art": large churches or basilicas, with barrel vaulting and through-stone arches in the central nave and groin vaults on the sides; churches which incorporate the retrochoir as a revolutionary architectural element. This structure permits large crowds to wander round the church without hindering the church services taking place in the central nave, it also makes it easier to visit the various relics located in the different chapels of the retrochoir. Together with these characteristics, there is also the triforium, with its galleries above the side naves, surrounding the entire cathedral. At least five churches can be included within this special group: San Martín de Tours, San Marcial de Limoges, San Sernin de Toulouse, Santa Fe de Conques and the most perfect of all, Santiago de Compostela.

CHARLEMAGNE. RONCESVALLES. ROLAND

On 15th August 778, the rearguard of Charlemagne's army, returning from an expedition to Saragossa and after dismantling the city walls of Pamplona, was attacked and defeated by the Basques at the mountain pass of Roncesvalles. This event (which was the first time the great Charlemagne had ever suffered a defeat) deeply affected the French nation. Subsequently altered, mythologized and then converted into an epic poem by the Song of Roland, this defeat has become the most popular legend in western Europe. To summarise the song: Charlemagne, awaiting the surrender of the city of Saragossa, receives envoys sent by Marsil, the king of the city, with offers of peace. In response, Charlemagne sends Ganelón, Roland's stepfather who subsequently allies with Marsil and plans to betray Charlemagne in order to take revenge on his stepson, Roland, whom he hates.

THE HUNDRED DAMSELS

As the legend goes, in times of the mythical king Mauregato, the Saracen conquerors forced the Christians to pay them a tribute of one hundred damsels each year.

THE MONASTERY OF ST ANTÓN. THE MYSTERIOUS ORDER OF ST ANTONIO (ST ANTHONY)

Nordic and Central-European citizens, suffering from the cruel and endemic St Anthony's fire or ergot poisoning, made mass pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, the pilgrims would ask the monks of St Anthony to alleviate the pains in their gangrened limbs by touching them with the tip of their tau-shaped staffs. The sick pilgrims were given small scapularies called Taus, in addition to bread and wine blessed by certain rituals using the abbot's staff (naturally tau-shaped). Pilgrims were also given, although less frequently, blessed bells of the saint, bearing the cross of St Anthony. In this way the disease gradually improved until, once at Santiago, they were completely cured. However, some years after returning to their country of origin, the disease would reappear (no doubt as a punishment for some new sin committed) and they would need to make a further pilgrimage to guarantee another infallible cure.

Curiosity

Santiago´s Route attracted numerous pilgrims until the middle of the 16th century. Over the 17th centuruy, people began to forget about the Apostle and the number of pilgrims to Compostela fell dramatically.

This tendency continued the following centuries; in the 19th century only 30 or 40 pilgrims, mostly Portuguese, arrived every day. As a consequence of the small number of pilgrims, the pathways were virtually abandoned.

The Pilgrimage by Car

The pilgrimage was traditionally made on foot, and nowadays it can also be made on horseback or by bicycle.

But it is extremely unusual to follow the route by car. Since Carl Benz invented the first gasoline motorcar in 1885 to the present, many adventurers have arrived in Compostela driving different car models and trademarks, so that contemporary history combines with ancient times.

Miracles along the Route

Religious pilgrimages are always connected with miracles. The Route to Santiago is not an exception. There are many legends about fantastic events that happened to pilgrims along the holy route.

The most renowned miracle -there is evidence that it was known in Central Europe- took place in Santo Domingo, around the 15th century. A young married couple from Santis, near Wesel and Res, in the Archbishopric of Colonia, decided to make the pilgrimage to Santiago in order to fulfil a promise. They were acompanied by their son Hugonell, a young man aged 18.

Pilgrims in the Cathedral

The main purpose of the Pilgrimage to Santiago is to arrive at the Cathedral of Compostela and venerate the Saint Apostle. There pilgrims, apart from fulfilling an spiritual mission, can admire one of the most magnificent centres of holy art, that offers beautiful attractions, some of them unique.