Camino Photo of the Day: San Pedro de Viana

In the 13th century, San Pedro was the first church built within the town walls of Viana. Well, I say “within” but “part of” might be closer to the truth. The fortress-like church formed part of the defenses of the city, and its tower was a major lookout for the town. In the 18th century, it was seized by an army during one of Spain’s many civil wars (the First Carlist War, for those of you playing along at home), and they made modifications to the structure for use as a barracks.

They obviously didn’t consult any architects or engineers, because the walls of the church collapsed in 1844. It is now maintained as a monument and memorial. This is a photo of part of the nave, taken seven years ago today.

Date: 07 April 2013
Place: Viana (Navarra, Spain)

Maps!