CAMINO OF SANTIAGO IN PALENCIA

The consolidation of pilgrimages to Compostela is due in large part to the establishment of the french road, the ancient Vía Aquitana that joined Burdeos with Astorga, as the main, more secure and comfortable pilgrimage road. The pilgrimage to Santiago was then favored by the impulse given by the order to Cluny as disseminator of christianity, by the repopulation of these lands, the founding of monasteries and hospitals, terrain convenience, etc… circumstances involving economic, cultural, political and religious boom between the ninth and sixteenth centuries.

It is a three day, two night route, so it can be ideal for a weekend break. It can be done all year round on foot or by bicycle. We start the tour through the province of Palencia at the famous Puentefitero bridge, one of the most long and beautiful ones in the route which is also the border between provinces of Burgos and Palencia. From there we reach the first Palentino village: Boadilla del Camino; where we highlight the Church de la Asunción and the jurisdictional roll from the XV century.
First day (Friday evening)

From Boadilla and following the path of the Castilla’s Canal, we will go to Frómista; there we will find the lock doors of the Castilla’s Canal, one of the most important works of hydraulic engineering from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The first section, after about 9 miles, leaves us before a fascinating destination where to enjoy the Romanesque with the cluniac priory church of San Martin, the chapel of the Virgen del Otero, the Santa María del Castillo temple with its multimedia exhibition titled “Vestigia”, the parochial church of San Pedro, with its small museum where you can admire the famous flamenco-castellana school boards of Santa María from the fifteenth century.

Second day (Saturday)

MORNING
Pórtico de Santiago

Mornings invite you to walk, and for that it is important to have a nice hearty breakfast, with sausages and cheese included. For 12 miles we will have the opportunity to pass through towns with a rich heritage and a long history as seen in the various artistic currents of its monuments, legends and events related on the remains and relics of the past. They are uninhabited, with an enviable cultural and artistic burden, as Población, where we find the chapels of the Virgen del Socorro and San Miguel (XIII century), Revenga, Villarmentero, all from Campos and Villalcázar of Sirga with its majestic church, fortress of the Templars of the XIII century. Inside, among other gems, the image of the White Virgin is preserved, and the tombs of Infant D. Felipe and his second wife.

EVENING

The entry into Carrión de los Condes reminds the pilgrim that this city was the center of the Camino de Santiago and its importance as a medieval city; religious and civil remains testify to this. Cited in Codex Calistinus as a “prosperous and excellent villa plenty of bread, wine, meat and all kinds of products.” It was capital of the domains of the powerful Beni – Gómez and the Infants of Carrion. Cradle of famous writers and musicians as Rabbi Dom Sem Tob or the Marqués de Santillana. A monumental historic-artistic whole, which interests all those who know how to read in its stones. It still preserves houses, museums, churches, chapels and monasteries that you can visit.

Third day (Sunday)

Our first stop will be Calzadilla de la Cueza, halfway stage between fields and sky. The next village is Ledigos, town offered by Doña Urraca to Santiago the apostle in 1028 and linked to the bishop of Compostela so its church is under the patronage of Santiago. With Terradillos de los Templarios, Moratinos and San Nicolás del Real Camino we complete the stages through the province of Palencia.