Molinaseca is the first major town after leaving Rabanal del Camino. The trek down from the Cruz de Ferro was very difficult and steep. However, to alleviate the stress on the legs we split the day into two, stopping at Acebo de San Miguel. The first major city along the route is Molinaseca. It is home to a Roman bridge that spans the río Meruelo. It was used to move gold and commerce. You can see in the contrasting stonework the original Roman structure (darker stone) and the renovated parts from the centuries up to the 18th.
The town is very picturesque and typical of what pilgrims through the centuries would have found.
From here we moved Ponferrada (Pons Ferrata or steel bridge). The town's name is derived from the Latin pontem ferratam that refers to a bridge commissioned by Bishop Osmundo de Astorga around 1090 that had iron railings. In 1178, Ponferrada became the home of the Knights Templar in Spain. Today a castle stands that was once part of their vast holdings.
The oldest part of the complex is found at the rear of the structure...
With later additions added in the 15th and 17th centuries. In the open area are the remains of an ancient castro dating from the Iron Age.
The next day we took the students to one of my favorite places: Peñalba de Santiago. It is located in the mountains about 40 minutes from Ponferrada. In this small village is the Iglesia de Santiago de Peñalba that was built in the 10th century and is a prime example of Romanesque-Mozarabic architecture.
The south entrance consists of twin horseshoe arches, typical of this type of architecture.
Inside the church is an inscription that reads:
IN ERA C XLIII P(o)S(t) M(il)ESSIMA ET VII ID(u)S M(a)RC(i) : CONSECRATA EST HEC ECCL(esi)A IN HONOREM S(an)C(t)I IACOBI AP(osto)LI ET PLURIMOR(um)
“En la era 143 pasado el milenio (año 1105) y a siete díasde los idus de marzo (día 9) fue consagrada esta iglesia en honor del apóstol Santiago y de otros muchos”
What distinguishes this church from many others is that it has a double apse. In the west apse is buried San Genadio (tomb to the left), the hermit who first entered into this region and built the church along with San Urbano.
The north entry once connected the church to a monastery (no longer extent). Below is a small mausoleum that once held the remains of monks from the monastery.
The door that connected the church to the monastery features a dedicatory inscribed on the inner surface and the grave of the first abbot, Esteban, forms part of the threshold.
An inscription on the door's jamb reads:
CLAUDITUR IN CHRISTO SUB MARMORE STEPHANUS ISTO ABBAS EGREGI US MORIBUS EXIMIUS VIR DO MINI VERUS RECTIQUE TENO RE SEVERUS DISCRETUS SA PIENS SOBRIUS AC PACIENS GRANDI HONESTITATIS MAGNE QUOQUE VIR PIETATIS DUM SIBI POSSE FUIT VIVERE DUM LI QUIT RECTOREM IUVENU(m) DOGMA DEDUSQUE SE NUM QUEM NOBIS CLARUM GE NUIT GENS FRANCIGENARUM GERVASI FESTO CESSIT FRA GILIQUE SENECTE VIRTUS CELSA DEI PROPICIETUR EI ANNUM CEN TENUM DUC SEPTIES ADITO SENUM MILLE QUIBU SOCIES QUE FUIT ERA SCIES XIII K(a)L(en)D(a)S I ULII OBIIT STEPHANUS ABBA ERA C LXX PELAGIUS FERNANDIZ IUSSIT FIERI PETRUSQUE NOTUIT.
“Beneath this marble, buried in Christ, lies Esteban, illustrious abbot, irreproachable in his conduct, a true man of the Lord, upright and austere in his life, discreet, wise, sober, and patient, of great honesty and a man of great piety while he was able, while he lived. The French nation gave us a worthy leader of youth, a model and guide for the elderly. He succumbed to frail old age on the feast of Gervasius. May the sublime virtue of God be gracious to him. If you add ten seven times to the year 100 and then add 1000, you will know the era in which he lived. Esteban died on June 19th; it was the year 70. Pelayo Fernández ordered it to be made, and Pedro was the one who engraved it.”
After visiting the church we hiked into the Valley of Silence (Valle del Silencio). According to tradition, San Genadio went across the valley to caves where he would sit and meditate. However the constant sound coming from the stream interrupted his concentration. It is said that he took his staff, struck the ground and commanded the river to be silent. To this day it is difficult to hear the running of the river below.
Comments
Post a Comment