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The Monastery
of San Juan de la Peña
The Monastery of San Juan de la Peña is one of the
oldest monasteries that can be found along the Route to
Santiago. It is located near Jaca, the former capital of
the Kingdom of Aragón. Originally, it was a refuge
for the christians that were pursued during the Muslim invasion.
Some of the christians that escaped from the Arab troops
in Zaragoza, founded a group of small chapels that were
the origin of the Monastery. In the year 842 the Monastery
was rebuilt by Sancho Garcés, and then consecrated.
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Monastery of Leire
The Monastery of Leyre is one of the
most beautiful abbeys in Spain, closely related to the history
of Navarre. It was an uncontested cultural centre of the
region.
There is no evidence of the date of its foundation. Nevertheless,
the abbey is mentioned in documents dating back to the year
851. At the end of the 10 C, the troops of Almanzor destroyed
the Preromanesque construction.
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Xavier´s
Castle
The realm of Navarre is a land of castles.
Many forts were built in the Middle Ages, most of which were
pulled down in 1516 by order of Cardinal Cisneros. Xavier´s
Castles is one of the many forts that can still be admired
today. The Castle-Palace, which dates back to the 10 C, originated
from a vantagepoint or watchtower. With the passing of the
years, the lords of the tower added different defensive enclosures
that gradually gave form to the present construction. |
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Roncesvalles Collegiate Church
The most important monument along the
first section of the French Route to Santiago is the Hospital-Collegiate
Church of Santa María de Roncesvalles. It stands over the
former hospital-church built in 1130 by Alfonso I the Battler,
Kinf of Aragón and Navarra. Its construction began under
the reign of Sancho VII and supposedly it was consecrated
in 1219.
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Sta. María la Real. Pamplona Cathedral
The Pamplona Cathedral, in Gothic style,
stands over an earlier Romanesque church which was demolished
in 1391. Its construction began in 1394 and was not completed
until 1501. Between the years 1783 and 1803 the original
Romanesque façade was pulled down and rebuilt in
the Neoclassical style. A new section was also added to
the main building.This Gothic
temple has an splendid Neoclassical portal, created in 1783
by Ventura Rodríguez.
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Church of St. Pedro de la Rúa
The church of St. Pedro de la Rúa,
the largest and oldest in Estella, was built between the
last quarter of the 12 C and the beginning of the 13 C.
It combines the Romanesque and Cistercian styles. The church
stands by the Route of Santiago, on a cliff spur that dominates
the city. In 1256 it was declared Major Church of Estella.
In its interior the monarchs used to swear allegiance to
the laws and privileges of this noble town.
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Church of Santa María de Palacio
in Logroño
The church of Santa María de Palacio
in Logroño was built in the 11 C, rebuilt in the 13 C and
it was extended in the 16 C. It is noted for its spired
tower, in Romanesque-Ogive style, called the "steeple" by
the inhabitants of Logroño. It is difficult to determine
the style that predominates in the monument, in view of
the many modifications that have been made over the centuries.
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The Church of Santiago el Real
The Church of Santiago el Real has
always been connected to the history of the city of Logroño.
Legend states that the temple was founded by Ramiro I, right
after the battle of Clavijo. However the present construction,
in the style Reyes Católicos, was begun in 1513 and the
vaulting was not completed until the middle of the 16 C.
The church was built over the remains of a former temple,
located on a hillock protected by the ramparts to the north.
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Cathedral of Santa María de La Redonda
The Cathedral of Santa María de La
Redonda was built over a former Romanesque temple from the
12 C. In the year 1453 it was promoted to Collegiate Church,
after it incorporated the church of San Martín de Albelda
which provided the temple with much more space. Santa María
La Redonda has been restored many times over the centuries:
in the first third of the 16 C, in the 18 C, and at the
end of the 20 C.
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The Parish Church of Asuncion, Navarrete
(La Rioja)
The Parish Church of Asuncion -one
of the most relevant Classical monuments in La Rioja- began
to be built in 1553. It stands over the ruins of two former
churches that were not big enough to accommodate the increasing
population of the flourishing town of Navarrete. The church
was not completed until 1645. The temple has three naves,
being the side aisles narrower and lower, transept and large
chancel crowned by an octaedral apse with five piers and
flanked by two chapels as a double transept.
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