Image Alt

Blog

The city of Burgos. Photo: Burgos City Council.

The French Way 13: from Burgos to Hontanas

Pilgrims who start the Way of Saint James in Saint Jean Pied de Port face their thirteen stages. A journey of thirty-one point one kilometres that starts in Burgos and that you can shorten by finishing the stage in Hornillos del Camino.

To face this stage in summer is recommended to get up and leave early. In this manner, the pilgrim can avoid the high temperatures on a route that passes through cereal fields with almost no shade. The path follows the original route of the Way, and therefore, you can recognize intact fragments of the old Roman road.

Burgos

The city of Burgos owes its origins to a defensive necessity. In 884, the king of Asturias, Alonso II the Chaste, ordered Count Diego Porcelos to build a fortress. Small burghs gradually grew up around it, turning the city into what it is today. As an ancient fortress, Burgos has a castle located on the hill of San Miguel.

The Cathedral dominate the silhouette of the city. A work of Master Enrique and Juan de Colonia, and which construction began in 1221, during the reign of Fernando III the Saint. It is one of the finest examples of European Gothic art.

Another great emblem of the city is the Arch of Santa María. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the twelve gates to Burgos. After crossing the bridge of Santa María over the river Arlanzón and crossing the Arch, pilgrims reach the square of King San Fernando, where the Cathedral stands.

Arch of Santa María. Photo: Burgos City Council.

Arch of Santa María. Photo: Burgos City Council.

Burgos is one of the most important landmarks on the Pilgrim’s Route to Santiago de Compostela. The city’s patron saint is Saint Lesmes, a French pilgrim who, in the 11th century, on his way back from Compostela, stayed in Burgos to protect and advise pilgrims.

Outside the medieval town, the church of San Lesmes was built to honour the saint. Opposite it, in the 16th century, the Pilgrims’ hospital of San Juan was founded. From the original building, only the façade remains, and it currently houses the House of Culture.

Another of the most emblematic buildings in Burgos is the monastery of Las Huelgas Reales. It was built between the 12th and 13th centuries ordered by King Alfonso VIII. Inside there is a chapel dedicated to the apostle Saint James. In it, a figure represents him with an articulated arm. The 13th-century wooden sculpture is known as Santiago el Espaldarazo (St. James the Backsword), as he armed kings with his sword and consecrated them in their crusade against the Muslims. Next to the monastery, the King’s Hospital was built in 1195. This Renaissance complex was intended to care for pilgrims on the Pilgrim’s Way.

On the way to Hontanas

From the monastery of Las Huelgas, shortly before the railway line, the pilgrim should turn right and take a tarmac track. Following the course of the Arlanzón river, you reach Villalbilla. and at the exit, after one kilometre, you reach the Puente del Arzobispo bridge and enter Tardajos.

A large cross of the 18th century welcomes pilgrims. The village is crossed via Calle del Mediodía, Plaza Leandro Mayoral and Calle Real Poniente. After leaving the village, the pilgrim takes the road to the nearby town of Rabé de las Calzadas. On the way, the pilgrim crosses the river Urbel, which runs for more than fifty kilometres through the province of Burgos.

To enter Rabé de las Calzadas, you cross a bridge decorated with scallop shells, which is the symbol of the Camino. This village is the junction of two ancient Roman roads, where there is a palace dating from the 17th century.

Bridge over the river Úrbel. Photo: Rabé de las Calzadas Town Hall.

Bridge over the river Úrbel. Photo: Rabé de las Calzadas Town Hall.

Once the cemetery of Rabé is on the left, the Way continues along the Castilian plateau for nine kilometres. In summer it is advisable to be well protected from the sun. If you do not have enough water, three kilometres from the village, you will find the Praotorre fountain and some tables.

The upward-sloping track reaches a flatter area where is the village of Hornillos del Camino. To reach the village, you must descend a rocky slope known as Matamulos. For some pilgrims, the entrance to Hornillos is the end of this stage. For them, a route of nineteen point-eight kilometres may be sufficient. This town is one of the many examples of the village of the way. It had several hospitals for pilgrims, of which only remains the Hospital of the Santo Espíritu.

The best-prepared pilgrims can continue their journey. The panorama is very similar to the previous one. After leaving Hornillos, a long track climbs back up through the plateau. Five kilometres from the village there is a cross of Santiago. After a walk of more than ten kilometres, the pilgrim finally arrives at the village of Hontanas.

Post a Comment

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit sed.

Follow us on