Walking the Camino de Santiago
When we walked in 2016, it was a jubilee year. Many of the larger (and sometimes not so large) churches had holy doors. The Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Encina was one of these, and it was one of the more obvious and well-marked ones of the whole Camino. Nicely done! Here Francine leads Rebecca and I through. Date: 23 […]
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After a lunch that included a cup of goopy chocolate and some churros, we proceeded to the basilica. Enshrined within is an image of Virgin and Child that reportedly came from Jerusalem in the fifth century and is now honoured throughout El Bierzo. It was hidden during the Islamic conquest – so well, in fact, that it was lost for […]
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Stijn impulsively leads us into a door at Rabanal del Camino that I’ve never actually been through before. What could possibly be inside? And what’s with the curtain? Date: 21 April 2016 Place: Rabanal del Camino (Castilla y León, Spain)
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This door in Rabanal del Camino probably has nothing to do with the Irish saint, but it was hard to resist posting it on Saint Patrick’s Day! No, the photo’s not crooked – the door is built to mirror the slope of the road. Look up at the windows, and they’re perfectly level! Date: 21 April 2016 Place: Rabanal del […]
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My fascination with doors is well known. I found the painted doors of Santa Catalina de Somoza particularly photogenic. Here are some of them, as well as one doorway that led somewhere unexpected. As a side note, I’ve commented before about my theory that in Castilla y León (at least), the size of the town is in inverse proportion to […]
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This door in the Catedral de Santa María de Astorga is conspicuous by its inconspicuousness. Where does it lead? I suspect it leads to a sacristy, based solely on the fact that there is a thurible stand outside. But it may, in fact, be a storage closet, or something else entirely. In any case, there does not appear to be […]
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The Catedral de Santa María de Astorga is built using several different native stones of very different colour. As you can see here, the southeast tower is built of red stone. The door here is the designated holy door in Astorga for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. A few places had them, but I believe that this is only the […]
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After our views of the cathedral door and vault, I thought it might be nice to pull back and see how it all works together. Magnificently, as it turns out. Date: 20 April 2016 Place: Astorga (Castilla y León, Spain)
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As with many larger churches, the Catedral de Santa María de Astorga has three front doors. This is one of them – I believe it’s the larger, center door. There’s just something about a door. I love the detail work, which complements the amazing sculpture of the cathedral without trying to compete with it. Date: 20 April 2016 Place: Astorga […]
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And here’s the door through which we actually entered the cathedral. Sorry for the bit of blur. The arch depicts Christ on His heavenly throne, while angels crown His blessed mother Queen of Heaven. Note again the absence of statues in the niches flanking the door. Have I mentioned that I like doors? Date: 19 April 2016 Place: León (Castilla […]
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