Walking barefoot across Puente la Reina

[Hey Jude]

Today as I left Puente la Reina I noticed Pilgrims on the other side of the bridge were putting their shoes and socks back on. I asked about this and some Italian pilgrims told me about the tradition of walking across the bridge barefoot, not on the smooth part but on the rough part. They couldn't tell me why, but I obliged and took my shoes and socks off and walked back towards the town and then back over the river and on my way.
Does anybody know the origin of this tradition or if in fact it is actually a tradition?

 

[Bradypus]

@Kathar1na mentioned that there was some tradition of walking barefoot over the bridge in a post a few years ago. Italians were mentioned at the time. Maybe it's an Italian thing?
Post in thread 'barefoot just into Santiago???' https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/barefoot-just-into-santiago.45669/post-483130

 

[Kathar1na]

Interesting to read that the narrative of walking barefoot over the bridge of Puente la Reina is apparently alive in the blogosphere of the pelligrini on the Cammino di Santiago.

At the time, we stayed in a small hotel in Cizur Mayor, a bit away from the pilgrim bubble, and in the morning when asking for the best way to join the Camino again the local receptionist told us that pilgrims take off their boots and walk barefoot over the bridge.

As I said in the earlier thread I could not find much about any historical connection online. So the question remains: Is it a modern myth that has seeped into local awareness or is it the other way round?

 

[Kathar1na]

Just see now that searching for "a piedi nudi" "puente la reina" yields a few more results in a Google search than when I tried the same search previously in other languages.

 

[Kathar1na]

At least one Italian pilgrim documented the feat on his blog - note that he walks in the middle of the road, apparently another “must”. Another one calls it a medieval tradition. Unless proven otherwise, I suspect that is no more a medieval tradition than the bringing a stone from home or the prayer that is said in the movie at the Cruz de Ferro, namely no century old tradition at all. But why not do it now? There is nothing wrong with it …

 

[Kathar1na]

The Chilean Circle of Friends of the Camino de Santiago knows about walking barefoot over the bridge, too. So it is definitely “a thing”. Btw, it is not unusual that Camino pilgrims with a common linguistic background have a ritual that other pilgrims don’t know about or don’t practice. We know this as a fact from pilgrim reports from the Middle Ages.

Ritos y Tradiciones | Camino de Santiago en Chile | Chile

Que tiene que hacer el peregrino en el Camino de Santiago? Aquí los ritos y tradiciones más comunes.

en.caminosantiago.cl

 

[Hey Jude]

Thank you for all the responses and research. It was certainly something I was happy to do, tradition or not. And the stones under my tender little feet felt pretty good.
I guess all "traditions" have to start somewhere.

 

[Bradypus]

I first learned about the Camino through a man who walked barefoot from Paris to Santiago. After that walk he led groups of pilgrims from SJPDP to Santiago - including my mother-in-law. He let them keep their boots on though!

 

[naplesdon]

I think you got punked!

 

[Kathar1na]

asked about this and some Italian pilgrims told me about the tradition of walking across the bridge barefoot

there was some tradition of walking barefoot over the bridge in a post a few years ago. Italians were mentioned at the time. Maybe it's an Italian thing?

Thank you! You two provided the missing clue for this puzzle .

The Italian Wikipedia article about the Romanesque bridge of Puente la Reina mentions a tradition of barefoot walking. The source is a guidebook, page 60: Guida al cammino di Santiago de Compostela. Oltre 800 chilometri dai Pirenei a Finisterre - 9 gennaio 2023 by Alfonso Curatolo and Miriam Giovanzana. The guidebook has already reached its 14th edition. For comparison, Brierley is in its 19th edition and Roth in its 16th edition.

So there we have it. Of course now someone can ask the authors what their source is . My guess, or rather my hope, would be that it is a report by some medieval Italian pilgrim.

 

[ricardo.ha77]

I had never heard about this! However I made a Google search in Spanish and found a few references dating from 2012 to 2014.

 

[Jarrad]

At least one Italian pilgrim documented the feat on his blog

Nice foot picture. I see what you did there.

 

[tpmchugh]

Today as I left Puente la Reina I noticed Pilgrims on the other side of the bridge were putting their shoes and socks back on. I asked about this and some Italian pilgrims told me about the tradition of walking across the bridge barefoot, not on the smooth part but on the rough part. They couldn't tell me why, but I obliged and took my shoes and socks off and walked back towards the town and then back over the river and on my way.
Does anybody know the origin of this tradition or if in fact it is actually a tradition?

There are lots of traditions some I have heard of others not. This falls into the 'not' category. Personally I have my own tradition. Never walk back unless you have left your water bottle under an overpass . Enjoy whatever comes your way but I would not recommend going barefoot at any time. Just one mishap to your feet and your Camino could be over

 

[astronwolf]

Maybe in the old days, you wouldn't have to pay a toll if you crossed the bridge in bare feet. It's traditional now.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Maybe in the old days, you wouldn't have to pay a toll if you crossed the bridge in bare feet. It's traditional now.

The original bridge is just some ruins in the water.

The "old" bridge is a modern one, underwater when the reservoir is full. Never a toll bridge.

The new bridge was constructed at the same time as the dam, and the relocation of Portomarin uphill.

I've been lucky these past few times to walk across on the "old" one.

I guess there can be a "tradition", crossing the "old" bridge when it's only lightly covered by water, of shoes off to wade across on top of it without soaking them ?

 

[Tincatinker]

@JabbaPapa the OP refers to Puente la Reina. Portomarin is a bridge to far...

 

[JabbaPapa]

Aaaargh !!!

Thank you @Tincatinker !!

 

[trecile]

Just today an Italian pilgrim told me and my walking partners that we should walk barefoot across the bridge. I didn't hear the part about walking on the rough stones, so being sensible I walked on the smooth stones.