Camino Photo of the Day: San Andrés in San Pedro

The interior of San Pedro de la Rúa is odd. It consists of three apses and corresponding nave(s). Although most of the church was built in the late 12th century, one of the apses was entirely reconstructed some five hundred years later. This is the chapel of San Andrés, and therein is a tale.

The chapel houses the tomb of a 13th century Bishop of Patras in Greece. He was walking the Camino incognito in 1270 and died in his sleep at the nearby albergue of San Nicolás. When he was buried in the pilgrim cemetery in San Pedro’s cloister, the grave glowed. The body was disinterred, and the locals soon discovered the man’s identity. His pilgrim’s staff was discovered to be a disguised bishop’s crozier, and in his pack were a pair of relics: a sliver of the True Cross and part of the hip bone of Saint Andrew. Both remain in the church to this day.

Date: 05 April 2013
Place: Estella (Navarra, Spain)