Churches along the Camino Frances

[Robo]

Part of the joy of walking a Camino for me is visiting the churches along the way. Being quite a Spiritual person, I love to drop in and pause for reflection and give thanks for being able to make the journey. But quite apart from that, the deep sense of history, and the feeling of being amongst the energy of so many millions of Pilgrims who have gone before, is a very special experience.

Do I visit churches at home? No. It's just not the same... What was your favourite Church along the way? On any Camino route?

 

[naplesdon]

Robo, the sad thing about the churches in Spain is they were built with a purpose to serve a local population with the construction usually funded by a wealthy family in honor of their patron saint. Many churches were build in small towns as family competed for holy glory over their neighbors. Now these towns are falling into disrepair and the churches totally neglected. As Paddy O'Gara has pointed out many times the priesthood is an aging lot with diminishing numbers so many of these churches only get occasional masses on Sunday and the Church no longer has the funds to support the upkeep and maintenance of the structures. It is a very sad situation because some very significant monuments off and on the Camino are going to turn into dust.

 

[Robo]

Indeed @biarritzdon. Quite sad. Though some are quite clever like the church at Navarette that requires a couple of Euros to turn the lights on. But maybe that doesn't amount to much over a year?

 

[SabsP]

Parroquia Santa Marina - Rabé de las Calzadas - Archidiócesis de Burgos

La primera vez que aparece el nombre de Rabé en la historia se remonta al año 946 de nuestra era pero el nombre aparece sólo y no lleva el «de las Calzadas». El adjetivo «de las Calzadas» le viene de la época romana ya que no fue una sino varias las que cruzaron por el

www.archiburgos.es

Iglesia parroquial de Santa Marina | Rabé de las Calzadas

Localidad: Rabé de las Calzadas Culto: Domingos 11:00 h

www.rabedelascalzadas.es

Iglesia Santa Marina.

My favourite is the church in Rabé de las Calzadas. Nothing special in terms of architecture but I had the nicest encounter there with the choir of the church when they were having rehearsal. Long story that I explained somewhere else on this forum.

In Santiago de Compostela I love to spend time in the San Agustin church, a Jesuit one. Especially when priest Balthasar holds one of his inspiring sermons.

Not an active catholic anymore ( had my share with fifteen years of nun' s schools ) but I can appreciate a warm and intelligent sermon and Gregorian music.

 

[mspath]

Santa Maria de Eunate

The small church of Santa Maria de Eunate is, indeed, extraordinary.

Coming along the path and catching the first glimpse of this wonderful spot was always a thrill. The circular plan of this thousand year old structure may be based on the plan of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. All is surrounded by an octagonal cloister. Built by unknown craftsmen and set within a natural bowl the ocher sandstone walls blend into the almost sculpted nearby fields planted with corn and fennel. Here one senses the peace of eternity .

When I visited in October 2011 during the evening four other pilgrims and I shared warm hospitality in the then open adjacent albergue. (It could only accommodate seven ) Two gracious hospitaleros from Strasbourg served an outstanding supper. Afterwards we held a simple candlelit prayer service in the mystic church giving thanks for our Caminos, our lives and our loves. Later as we each fell asleep on floor mattresses in the attic dorm we pilgrims remarked on our great luck and pleasure in sharing such precious moments. ...I thought how wonderful it had been to revisit this beloved place once again.... May peace reign here another thousand years.

 

[Martin 888]

Not sure what it was called but my favourite small church was in a village somewhere beyond Ponferrada and before Villafranca del Bierzo.....the attached pic is of the fantastic depiction of the last supper on the roof of a dome off to the side of the main church. Perhaps someone knows what this church was called ?

 

[naplesdon]

What concerns me most is the elaborate carved wooden altar pieces which are not part of the structure will be sold off to collectors as well as the stations of the cross which are normally works by later artists. The works will lose their significance and provenance as they are dealt around the world to collects who use them in bars and other egregious. places.

 

[naplesdon]

Not sure what it was called but my favourite small church was in a village somewhere beyond Ponferrada and before Villafranca del Bierzo.....the attached pic is of the fantastic depiction of the last supper on the roof of a dome off to the side of the main church. Perhaps someone knows what this church was called ?

That is an incredidibly well preserved fresco. I would love to know the name of the church.

 

[Saint Mike II]

G'Day Pilgrim. Thanks for the video of these churches. However unless I have missed it you appear to have left out my favourite church the one in Los Arcos. (Happy to be corrected!)

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola @mspath . You now making me more envious. I think there is so much "history" in Northern Spain that I might have to plan a "non-walking" pilgrimage. Both times I have travelled the Frances this church at Eunate was closed (or at least posted as being closed). Cheers

 

[rappahannock_rev]

Not sure what it was called but my favourite small church was in a village somewhere beyond Ponferrada and before Villafranca del Bierzo.....the attached pic is of the fantastic depiction of the last supper on the roof of a dome off to the side of the main church. Perhaps someone knows what this church was called ?

I should very much like to know where this one is!

 

[MickMac]

 

[Laurie Sanantone]

It’s the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion in Fuentasnuevas, between Ponferrada and Camponaraya.

 

[Martin 888]

It’s the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion in Fuentasnuevas, between Ponferrada and Camponaraya.

Hurrah.....thanks Laurie. An extraordinarily beautiful building and for me that day, also welcome shelter from heavy rain !

 

[simply B]

Favorite church on the CF? - - no question, "Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción" in Navarette. That retablo is simply stunning.

While I also highly appreciated the Santa Maria de Eunate, my experience of it in 2012 was... well, let's just say "spooky" and leave it at that.

B

 

[Paul McAmino]

Santa Maria de Eunate

The small church of Santa Maria de Eunate is, indeed, extraordinary.

Coming along the path and catching the first glimpse of this wonderful spot was always a thrill. The circular plan of this thousand year old structure may be based on the plan of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. All is surrounded by an octagonal cloister. Built by unknown craftsmen and set within a natural bowl the ocher sandstone walls blend into the almost sculpted nearby fields planted with corn and fennel. Here one senses the peace of eternity .

When I visited in October 2011 during the evening four other pilgrims and I shared warm hospitality in the then open adjacent albergue. (It could only accommodate seven ) Two gracious hospitaleros from Strasbourg served an outstanding supper. Afterwards we held a simple candlelit prayer service in the mystic church giving thanks for our Caminos, our lives and our loves. Later as we each fell asleep on floor mattresses in the attic dorm we pilgrims remarked on our great luck and pleasure in sharing such precious moments. ...I thought how wonderful it had been to revisit this beloved place once again.... May peace reign here another thousand years.

I will second this. There was a lovely little ceremony in the church after a communal dinner. The high clear a capella voice of a peregrino from Canada filled the space and made for a moving experience for the little group who stayed that night. It still moves me even now, several years later.
This sort of experience, that sets one into another dimension is rare and beautiful, like the little gem on the way to Puente la Reina.
All the best,
Paul

 

[Anne&Pat]

Los Arcos, XIIthC Iglesia de Santa Maria de los Arcos. A very beautiful church. We were there on a Saturday evening and were lucky to be present at a local wedding. A few pilgrims sat up the back with some local elderly ladies to watch the wedding. We were not allowed to take communion though, even though we were allowed to participate in the Mass!

 

[Robo]

G'Day Pilgrim. Thanks for the video of these churches. However unless I have missed it you appear to have left out my favourite church the one in Los Arcos. (Happy to be corrected!)

Oh I thought it was there, sorry.

 

[Walking Lover]

Part of the joy of walking a Camino for me is visiting the churches along the way. Being quite a Spiritual person, I love to drop in and pause for reflection and give thanks for being able to make the journey. But quite apart from that, the deep sense of history, and the feeling of being amongst the energy of so many millions of Pilgrims who have gone before, is a very special experience.

Do I visit churches at home? No. It's just not the same... What was your favourite Church along the way? On any Camino route?

Unlike in Spain, U.S. churches are rarely open for a casual drop in for prayer and reflection. I miss the opportunity to do so.

 

[JMac56]

My heart always returns to this simple, broken little Church in Rabanal del Camino.
View media item 4048

 

[rappahannock_rev]

In Burgos one must tour the Cathedral, of course. And one should do side trips to Las Huelgas and Miraflores. But there is so much more! ... Just a few steps off the Camino in central Burgos is a large 14th-16th C. church which I suspect very few peregrinos take the time to visit, but which would very much be worth the detour: S. Gil Abad. A magnificent Renaissance altarpiece and a dome which rests on scallops!
The woodwork is exquisite. (Photo taken 09/21/2019)

 

[rappahannock_rev]

And then there are all the new discoveries made in places well known and closely studied.... I'm the parroco of a small rural church under the patronage of St. Luke the Evangelist.... So you can imagine how pleased and amused I was, on my last visit to Leon Cathedral, to discover, in a side chapel, our patron St. Luke, writing his Gospel -- and wearing glasses!... There is no end to the Camino's riches! (Photo taken 10/01/2019.)