Bridges along the Camino
Puente la Reina
Should you start the Camino de Santiago in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, you will arrive to a small town 20 kilometres west of Pamplona. This town is called Puente la Reina which translates to Bridge of the Queen. This small Camino town of 2,500 people is located in the state of Navarre. It is the point where the French Way meets the Aragonese Route. As a result of the two paths crossing, Puente la Reina has been a major meeting point along the Camino for hundreds of years.
As pilgrims would stop and rest here, the town had many churches built to allow those to worship on The Way. Most of the churches were built during the 12th Century. One of the most famous churches here is the Iglesia de San Pedro or Church of Saint Peter.
Church of Saint Peter
The Church of Saint Peter is home to the Statue of Lady of Txori V. This is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary that was originally housed in the chapel of the Virgen del Puy. It was in Puy until 1843 when the building collapsed. The myth around this Virgin dates to the 19th Century. A txori (meaning bird in Basque) would fly in to clean cobwebs and insects off the sculpture. The legend even boasts that the bird would bring water to delicately wash her face. This phenomenon was cherished by the town’s people. The miracle apparently continued until the church found itself in ruins. The Statue of Lady of Txori was then placed in the Church of Saint Peter in Puente la Reina.
The Bridge
Following the Camino out of town, you pass over a stunning Romanesque bridge. It was originally constructed in the 11th Century. The bridge was built by the medieval queen of King Sancho the Great. It’s purpose was to help pilgrims pass the River Arga that runs beneath, albeit with a statutory toll. The bridge spans 110 meters with 6 beautiful arches. And, of course, is the bridge that the town was named for.
This is one of our favorite bridges on The Way and is still functioning today. If you time it right, you can capture the town, it’s pilgrims and the bridge reflecting perfectly in the small river below. Ideal for those self-reflective moments so desired whilst walking to Santiago de Compostela.
Puente la Reina – The Roman Bridge. (2016, March 03). Retrieved January 10, 2017, from https://santiagodecompostela.co.uk/puente-la-reina-the-roman-bridge/
Puente de la Reina. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2017, from https://www.whatpamplona.com/puente-de-la-reina-trip.html
