STAGE 3 - PAMPLONA to PUENTE LA REINA
Today was a up-and-down 16 miles. After leaving Pamplona you enter Cizur menor. The town has two lovely churches: the Iglesia de San Emeterio y San Celedonio...
However, the church with the most interesting history is the Iglesia Sanjuanista de San Miguel...
Established sometime in the 12th century by donations from Lope Enecones and his wife Sancha Aznárez along with other nobles, including the king of Pamplona García Ramírez. As a consequence of these contributions, San Miguel Arcángel became a hospital for pilgrims who followed the French Way. Like so many other notable medieval monuments, the Iglesia Sanjuanista de San Miguel was confiscated by the Mendizábal government sometime between 1835 and 1837. As a result, the hospital/church was abandoned and partially destroyed, soon being converted into a grain warehouse. In 1972 the church of San Miguel was declared a National Monument. In 1988 it was acquired by the Foral Community of Navarra and restored to its current condition. Today the property is managed by the Order of Malta as a pilgrim hostel between the months of May and October.
The main entrance to the building is located on south wall of the church. The composition of the entrance is simple with three semicircular archivolts and flanked by three decorative columns on each side. The columns’ capitals are quite eroded though one can still perceive in places the use of plant motifs. Above the door is a large tympanum that features a Chrismon. Again, the rigors of time and neglect has left the Chrismon without the Omega letter, evidenced only by a vague trace of the letter on the surface of the stone. Windows are located in the walls of the nave; two on the south and one on the north. In the façade that rises at the end of the church, opposite the apse, there is a five-pointed rose window with each point ending in circular openings. At the eastern end of the south wall you will find a 15th-century Gothic chamber, probably built during the time that Juan de Beaumont was prior of the Navarrese Hospitallers. It might have been used as a funerary chapel.
A little further down the Camino are the ruins of Guenduláin made up of a church and a señorial mansion. We tried to get to the ruins but the path was muddy (deep mud) and all along the narrow path were spiny brambles. We did get a picture of the buildings from a distance. Perhaps next year the path will be dry enough to walk.
The next town is Zariquiegui. It sits at the foot of the hills that we climb to the Alto de Perdón. The town's jewel is a small church, the Iglesia de San Andrés. Sadly, it was closed. In previous years we would sing in in its little nave.
The climb to the Alto de Perdón is not steep but a constant uphill trajectory. Our pauses along the way allowed us to take in the beauty of the valley below...
Shortly before you reach the top of the Alto de Perdón there is a little fountain to the left of the Camino where water still trickles out. It is known as the Fuente de la Reniega or Gambellacos (the word "reniega" means to deny one's belief).
And of course, there is a story behind it. Here is the legend: On the slopes of the Alto de Perdón (part of the Sierra de El Perdón-Erreniega) before reaching the summit, there is a fountain called as the “Fuente Reniega” also known today as Gambellacos. Legend has it that a tired and thirsty pilgrim was making his way up to the Alto del Perdón when he was met by the devil, disguised as a handsome young man. The devil indicated that if the pilgrim would renounce God that he would show the location of the fountain. When the pilgrim rejected the offer the demon tempted him again, suggesting that perhaps it would be enough to renounce the Virgin Mary. Again, the pilgrim did not accept his offer. Finally, Satan pointed out that it would be enough to renounce the apostle James to get the water. Instead of falling victim to the devil’s enticements, the pilgrim began to pray for help. At this point, the devil vanished in a cloud of sulphur. Left alone and desperate for water the pilgrim continued in supplication for help. At that moment, St. James, disguised as a pilgrim, appeared and led the faithful pilgrim to the hidden fountain where he dipped his shell into the cool, clear water and there quenched his thirst. You gotta love the stories. They add so much to the experience.
At the top of the mountain is a memorial to pilgrims and the Camino...
To the far left you will see wind turbines. They run all along the top of these mountains. A good place for windmills given the constant winds! In the middle ages there stood on this spot a hospital for pilgrims. It was known as the Hospital de Nuestra Señora del Perdón. (Our Lady of Forgiveness) Today all that remains is a small piece of the altar that has been imbedded into a square concrete column. When I went up to see the inscription I noticed that a pilgrim had left a beautiful rosary. Yet another example of the faith that many carry with them as they walk the Camino.
The descent from the top of the mountain is a bit precarious. It is at times steep and very rocky. However, having walking sticks made it much easier to get down. Again, the views are stunning of the backside of the mountain...
And once you get to the flatter portions of the valley you have scenes like this on either side.
As we were walking along I caught sight of a falcon that was catching the drafts as it seemed to be hunting for prey. It was an amazing sight that I wish I could have caught on film.
From the Alto de Perdón to Puente la Reina you move through a few small towns that seem like ghost towns, though the homes in them are large and modern. I get the impression that most of the people who live here commute to Pamplona. In these smaller towns they can buy more for less money.
Puente la Reina is a lovely little city. It has cool churches like the Iglesia del Crucifijo with beautifully carved jambs on each side of the main entrance.
Or, the Iglesia de Santiago with faces of different ethnicities and postures,
The one thing that I had hoped to find in Puente la Reina was a little known 16th-century bridge known as "La puente de la Dula." The bridge spans a small tributary to the Arga River. I have found only a few references to the bridge - "The Dula Bridge is a structure of three slightly pointed arches with cutwaters raised to the impost and without the spurs. A detailed analysis of the bridge's orientation and the cutwaters demonstrate that the Robo River has substantially altered its course since the 16th century." It was fun to explore and find it!
You can see how much silt has built up over the years by examining the fully visible arch to the right and the more obscured arch to the left. Ingenuity has made the one arch part of a walkway.
Tomorrow I will tell you about the crown jewel of Puente la Reina; the very bridge from which the town gets its name. Stay tuned for more!
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