The Castle City: Burgos, Spain

History
Burgos was founded in 884.  It was fortified by the Romans, and was of little importance in the Visigothic and Muslim times.  Alfonso III of León built a castle over the Roman ruins in the 9^th century.   Burgos was considered Castilla’s most important city from the start.  It was the home of El Cid, an important Castillian nobility leader.  The city had once been Spain’s principal commercial center.  It was given the nickname of the “Land of Castles.”  It was also the capital to the Castilla-Leon Kingdom for 500 years.


The climate of the city is not great for agriculture.  It is said that there’s “nine months of winter, and three of hell.”  The city has also been very cosmopolitan starting from its founding.  There were at one point two Moorish quarters and a Jewish quarter.


Burgos is a major stop on the Camino and a pivotal point on the Camino.  No other Spanish town has more pilgrim hospices than Burgos does.  In the 15^th century, it was counted that there were 32 hospices, 25 still existed in the 18^th century.  Most of them were founded by royalty, private citizens, merchant guilds, and religious and military orders.  The earliest known hospice was San Juan Evangelista that was founded prior to 1085 by Alfonso VI.  There was a chapel in the building that was used as a burial place for pilgrims.  By 1097, the hospice had grown into a monastery that was administered by the Benedictines.  In 1128, Alfonso VII donated it to the bishopric.  The hospice had 12 beds and a chapel that was dedicated to San Lesmés.   It was rebuilt in 1479 and renovated in 1626.  The new building had 50 beds and a pharmacy that were supported by the Cofradía de Mer caderes de Burgos.  The hospice was closed in the 17^th century.


Important Monuments
Burgos Cathedral (Santa Maria)
The cathedral was built between the period of 1221-1795, with the first stone laid on July 20, 1221.  It is built mainly in the French High Gothic style, but there are other styles present in the architecture.  It became prevalent to the city in the late medieval period.  The cathedral itself came to Spain through the Way of Saint James Route.  The cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and is known for its size and unique architecture, along with its impeccable artwork.  The first mass in the new building was held in 1230.  The ceiling vaults of the original building were closed in 1243, 22 years after construction began, very remarkable for this time.  The silhouette of its towers and pinnacles are a key aspect of the Burgos skyline.


The Santa Maria is considered by some to be the “richest anthology of medieval art styles and genres that you will find along the Road” (The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago, pg 177).  It is also said in the book The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago that “Burgos’s cathedral is like a box of exquisite bonbons: no one, no matter how fond of chocolate, can do their flavors justice by eating them all in one sitting.”  The architects of large medieval churches tried to affect the worshipers in the cathedrals to give them a sense of awe and wonder.  In the chapel, it is said that there are more major works of art than most museums have.

The picture on the left was our first look at the Cathedral.  It seems massive in relation to all the buildings.  The right picture is a front view of the Cathedral.  There was a wedding going on when we walked by, that’s why there are a bunch of people in the front.

This retablo of the Chapel of Conception or the Chapel of St. Anne.  The subject of the retablo is “the stock of Jesse.”  The man lying asleep with the tree growing out of his chest is Jesse.  The twelve figures coming from the tree are the twelve kings of Judah, descendants of Mary.  Mary is in the top center holding the baby Jesus.  Her parents are below and holding each other chastely, said to represent the immaculate conception.  The Church is to the left of Mary with open eyes, an intact staff, and a chalice while the Synagogue is to the right blind, with a broken staff, and the tablets of the law.  I found this very striking and interesting as a subject for the retablo behind the alter.

Monasterio de las Huelgas (The Royal Monastery of Las Huelgas)
The monastery was started by Alfonso VII after he made Burgos his principal residence.  It was built in 1180 with the architecture being from the period between Byzantine and Gothic style.  It is a Spanish Royal Site and has been the site for many royal weddings.  The remains of Alfonso VIII and his wife Eleanor, who was the daughter of English King Henry II and the sister of Richard the Lion-Hearted, are housed in the monastery.  Eleanor was the first prioress of the convent.  The convent was to report to the King, and was originally a refuge for widowed nobility.  The building became a hospital in 1212, and there are currently 36 nuns that live there.  They support themselves through decorating porcelain, making rosaries, and doing laundry for the local hotels.  Access to the interior of the monastery is only allowed by a guided tour.

Cartuja de Miraflores
Cartuja de Miraflores was founded in 1441.  Its wooden altar is considered one of the most important works of Spanish Gothic sculpture.  It holds the remains of Juan II and Isabella of Castile and Prince Alfonso of Castile.  The marble of their figures are so intricately carved it is said to look like wax.  It is also famous for the wooden sculpture of St. Bruno.


The Santa Maria Arch
The Santa Maria Arch was built in the 9^th century and was renovated in the 16^th century.  It is one of 12 entrances to the city from the middle ages.  The structure simulates that of a castle, and the niches hold characters from Castilla history.

My Take on Burgos...
Burgos is such a beautiful city!  The view that we had from the castle affirmed that truth for me.  The cathedral in the skyline rises above the buildings in a way that I haven’t seen in any other city.  There’s so much history here, not only in this city but all of the places we’ve been so far.  It’s crazy to think that it almost took longer to build a single cathedral then the United States has existed as a country.

The stunning view of the Cathedral and Burgos from near the castle. We weren’t able to go into the castle because it was closed, but I think this view made up for it.

Today in Burgos, it was somewhat of a mind-blowing experience.  We first visited the Monasterio de las Huelgas.  It was interesting to see the history of the royals and how the monastery was established.  One striking thing to me was that the founders of the monastery were married when the wife was 10 and the husband 14, and they died 25 years apart in the same year.  That’s so crazy to think that if I lived back in their era that I could have been married for 11 years already!  The buildings and sculptures were such beautiful historical artifacts.  It’s different seeing things that are older than the US is.


My all-time favorite part of the day was going to the cathedral.  Yes it may look beautiful from the outside, but from the inside it is a whole different world.  There were so many works of art that were so breathtaking.  I mentioned earlier in the blog how the intent of the cathedral was to leave the worshipers in awe, and the Burgos cathedral is no exception to that.


As far as the pilgrimage goes, I find it quite interesting to be following it from a car.  Seeing the path that the pilgrims are walking on makes me want to get out and join them.  I can very clearly see how a reason for the pilgrimage can be religious.  There is a lot of power in some of the places we’ve been so far.  Walking into the cathedral I felt a presence that I haven’t felt before.  With the sculpture of Christ on the mast, in the right-hand picture, I felt the guilt of my sin weighed upon him, yet I also felt his grace and relief that Christ did die for me to live.  You can see the pain and the suffering in His face.


I really want to come back and walk the Camino myself at some point in my future, I had decided that before we came here, but as we are going through all these places and learning more about the history, it’s making my ambition stronger.

We went by the building where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel received Christopher Colombus after he returned back to Spain from the Americas.  This is the inscription on the wall near the door.  It is now owned by a bank.  Odd how historical buildings are turned into modern day things.

Some shells and walking sticks that every pilgrim to Santiago should have.  The shell is the symbol of the true pilgrims, and the staff helps to aid the pilgrims on their trek to Santiago.

Kind of being a creeper here, but this is a true Camino pilgrim.

A sculpture of Christ that is displayed in one of the chapels of the Cathedral.  I find it to look very realistic.  I was a little stirred when I saw it because it looks so life-like.  Notice the shells behind the statues on the right and left??

The picture on the left is the retablo behind the main alter in the Cathedral.  It’s dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  The picture on the right is one of the stone retablos that can be found in the ambulatory.  I found it very realistic and very moving when I saw the detail that was put into it.

I’ve always been in love with stained glass windows, and the picture on the left is one of the many that are in the cathedral.  The right-hand photo is a painting of Mary Magdalene done by Gianpetrino.  He was one of Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite disciples, and I think it’s easy to see the similarity with da Vinci’s works.

The left photo is one of the many artifacts that are placed in one of the chapels.  It is actually an extremely small painting.  It’s neat to see just how much detail was put into the piece.  In one of the chapels, there was a display of more modern artwork by a specific artist on display of Jesus’s journey to the cross.  The photo on the right is of Jesus and his mother during his walk to Calvary.

The picture on the left is of some of the many caskets that were on the second level of the cloister.  The picture on the right is a side view of the Cathedral.  Behind the view there is a square with various shops there where you can get Tapas or drinks or simply browse the various selections of souvenirs.


Buen Camino!!!!
~Emily K.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada

                Domingo García established the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Before the 11^th century, the region that Santo Domingo de la Calzada is located in, Rioja, was not a safe or secure place to travel. García changed that when he started building and enhancing the Road that pilgrims traveled on. García started out as a sheepherder but decided to become a monk. However, because of doing so poorly in his studies, he was not allowed to continue. That never stopped him from leading his life in one or religious service. He built a bridge over the Oja river and built a road through the forest. By the end of the 11^th century, he changed an old ruined fort into a hospice for pilgrims which then caused a small town to appear with it. Unfortunately, Santo Domingo de la Calzada was captured and recaptured by different people until finally in 1134 it was officially part of Castilla. In the 12^th century, the town grew because of the pilgrims coming and going. The original church was burned down in the mid-12^th century, but another building was built where it was called the colegiata and in 1227, Pope Honorious III moved the bishopric from Calahorra to Santo Domingo. In the 14^th century, Santo Domingo became a city of war and a wall was built around the city. Today, there are fragments of 8 towers, 300 meters of the wall, and 2 gates.

                Santo Domingo de la Calzada’s importance to the pilgrimage consists of hospices founded by the saint and his relics. Also, the legend of the “hanged innocent” from the miracles of Saint James is said to have occurred in Santo Domingo instead of Toulouse. It also gives credit to the Riojan Saint rather than Santiago. There are “objects from the miracle” over Santo Domingo’s tomb.

                Monuments to see include the cathedral, Monasterio de las Barnardas, Monasterio de San Francisco, the hospital, and the Ayuntamiento.

               In my opinion, I thought that the Cathedral was absolutely beautiful. The architecture in this part of the world just blows your mind when you look at what people hundreds of years ago built without modern technology. It is also amazing because these building are still standing where others newer than these are crumbling to the ground. What is also interesting about the Cathedral is that the items inside of the cathedral are not arranged as we might originally think. The choir is located behind the congregation and the piece that is supposed to be behind the altar is actually located on the side of the church. Little pieces such as this makes a person like me become interested in the design.

               Something that is quite obvious in this particular church is the fact that there are live chickens living in a box in the church. And yes, I mean actual live chickens. They are in the cathedral because they represent the miracle that occurred in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. That miracle is the legend of the "hanged innocent."Basically this legend is about a boy who gets hanged for a crime that he did not commit and he was saved by St. James. So what does this have to do with chickens in a cathedral? Well, legend has it that the family of the boy who was hung went looking for an official to rescue him and this particular official did not believe in the miracle. Well, his chicken dinner suddenly became part of the legend when the said dead chickens miraculously came to life. Wouldn't it be fun to get food at a restaurant and before eating it suddenly came to life? Well, that's the legend and that is why there are chickens living in the cathedral in a glass box above where Santo Domingo lays.

 This is the street that the cathedral is located on. This sign translates as "Christ Street."

 This is inside the cathedral. The light on top of the doorway is where the live chickens from the miracle are located.

 This is the retablo that is located behind the altar. However, in this cathedral, the retablo is actually located on the side of the church rather than right behind the altar.

This is a picture of the outside of the cathedral. Directly to the right on this picture is the tower that is part of the cathedral.

This is a picture of a statue of a pilgrim.This is located inside of the cathedral.

This is the lovely organ that is in the cathedral in the choir loft.

This is the tomb of Santo Domingo. This crypt is located directly below a statue of the tomb of Santo Domingo. If you go down into the crypt, you can actually see the statue above.

 This is another picture of the live chickens. This is also a picture of Sir Victor, our knight, "hanging out" with the chickens of the miracle of Saint James.

For all you music majors or music lovers, this is an old fashioned hymnal. This is what the music looked like during Medieval times. This book is about the size of a carry-on luggage. The book is made this size because all of the singers of the choir had to look off of the same music. So you could have about 20 people all looking off of one book. Hence, the large size of the hymnal.

This is part of the old city wall. This is a tower that is along the wall and the shell that is down at the bottom is a sign for the Camino.


Buen Camino Amigos!
Ashley

The Starting Point: St. Jean Pied de Port

Traditionally, St. Jean Pied de Port is the starting point for the Camino de Santiago.  It sits at the bottom of the Roncevaux Pass across from the Pyrenee Mountains, 8 km. from the border of Spain.  The name literally means "St. John at the foot of the mountain pass".  Historically, this is the pilgrims' last "easy" stop (from any other area in France, if they are not starting at St Jean) before crossing into rough mountain territory on their continued pilgrimage.

Aside from many landscapes and period-style houses, streets and rails (apparently there is a great train service!), one may want to check out the citadel, or the 14th century church, Notre Dame du Bout du Pont.  The town itself appears to be one giant road with walls on each side.but 

We didn't spend too much time here, as we have many, MANY places to cover in such a short period of time, but it was long enough to take in some of the simple beauties of the town.  Actually, it was a bit like I had anticipated; there were hotels welcoming pilgrims (with the display of the scallop, which represents the Camino), restaurants, and gift shops as well as local meat and cheese dealers lining the street. 

We took a few minutes to look over the pilgrims' pass, where for centuries multitudes of pilgrims have gathered and begun their painstaking journey toward Santiago de Compostela.  I was enamored by the stonework in the streets and buildings, as well as the doors that complemented them.  We took a gander inside the church, and, although it was a bit dim inside, we were able to see its contents; a little simpler than others we have seen, but glorious nonetheless.  Unfortunately I did not see any trains, though I did catch a bike gang hanging out there for dinner.  I really liked this place, and to know that so many others have been across these streets, to me, is mind blowing.

Take Care All.

~Jenna

Fish I saw in the stream from the bridge

Classmates lighting candles inside the church

Doorway leading from inside the village to the outside

The Camino's THAT way!

This sign declares that, unfortunately, there is no room in the inn for the night.

Yet another lovely door!

Looking out upon the village

Looking up at the city walls

                           A stone owl perched on the side of a building

                                            The lovely village of St. John Pied de Port

                                               A horse rests outside the village

Oh My Lourdes!

The majestic Pyrenees.  There are no words to describe their beauty - pictures don't do them justice!

The Notre Dame cathedral of Lourdes.  Yes, there are many Notre Dames!

A side view of Notre Dame

The blessed grotto, where millions have come to pray and light candles from all walks of life.  There was an indescribable energy felt here, and I was very touched by it, as I'm sure many others in my group were.

One of the ramps leading up to the chapel of the church.  There are two, but only one would fit a picture!

The sun is beginning to set behind the steeples of Notre Dame.

The other ramp which leads up to the chapel of Notre Dame.  The ramps were built so that caretakers and loved ones can wheel their sick in need of healing to the place where healing happens most.

The castle of Lourdes, seen from a distance

The pilgrims mass - every night at 9:00 pm.  Sometimes there are more than 40,000 people present!

The mass is in full swing here; more and more people are pouring in to the square.

Maybe you can get a small idea from this picture as to just how many people are present at pilgrim's mass each evening.  It was beyond moving, and I will never forget this experience.

Nestled deep within the Pyrenee Mountains in southern France is a city called Lourdes.  This city has changed hands throughout history several times, and was and still is a major area of commerce for those traveling and living there.  The city is most famous for the "Marienne Apparitions", 18 sightings of the Virgin Mary beheld by a young woman named Bernadette Soubirous.
  Many chapels have been built in order to serve those who come on the Pilgrimage, and the city of Lourdes hosts well over 5 million pilgrims and tourists every year.  Also noteworty is the castle that lies in the center of the city only accessible by elevaters.  Many say that this is the best way to see the town. 

All I can say so far is that this whole trip has been amazing; we have seen so much, and it's hard to believe we have only been gone for three days.  Today we drove from Toulouse through Auch, Mirande, Tarbe, all beautiful cities to say the absolute least, but then we hit Lourdes...and for Lourdes I have no words.


This city is probably, in my opinion, the loveliest we have beheld on our journey thus far (don't get me wrong, all others have their unique and glorious charm, but something about this place grabs my heart in a way that I cannot explain).  Despite the "touristy" shops laden all about, and there are a TON of them, something very real, a strong sense of unity through shared belief is most definitely present here.


When we approached the grotto and ran our hands along the rock, as millions have done for hundreds of years, I thought about how real this journey is to those who come to this place for healing and prayer.  When we placed our burning candles among those lit nearby, I felt an undeniable power only felt by the bonding of believers praying for a move of God.  And at the candlelight mass, I was near tears as thousands (and I mean THOUSANDS) of church members, pilgrims, lame and sick, all gathered in one spirit to worship together.  I am truly touched by this day, and feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this awesome journey.


Until later,
Jenna