Navarre It is one of the rare autonomous communities that has its own little piece of Pyrenees. Around this majestic mountain range which separates France from Spain there are many towns and villages which, with its cooler temperatures, is worth a visit.
One of these cities is Roncesvallesa villa with a lot of popularity but with very few inhabitants because they live less than 20 people. Roncesvalles is 47 km from Pamplona Already 25 km from Saint-Jean-de-Pied-de-Port.
The origin of Roncesvalles returns to Romanization of the peninsula. Thanks to the settlement that existed in the area, a Roman road was built. very useful for the Celts and Visigoths. This road that went from Gaul to Spain was under constant surveillance since he had to protect old Pamplona and Bayonne against possible attacks.
However, in the history of Roncesvalles the most memorable moment is the battle of Roncesvalles against King Charlemagne in the 8th century. It was such an important moment in history that, somewhere in France, the Song of Rolandan epic poem that talks about the ambush against the king of France occurred between Roncesvalles and the town of Burguete.
Furthermore, these events favored the creation of the kingdom of Pamplona, a new route of the Camino de Santiago, the battle of Roncesvalles of 1813 and many other conflicts related to the French and Muslims. With all this historical journey that he has behind him, we must expect that Roncesvalles is full of monuments, buildings and works of antiquity.
In this city you can visit the Pilgrims Hospitalalso known as Charity hospital. This construction of 12th century It was a project conceived by the bishop of Pamplona Sancho de Larrosa and the king Alfonso I the Fighterbut it was rebuilt in 1807.
THE Church of the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María This is another building that stands out in Roncesvalles. The current temple was built between 1215 and 1221 thanks to Sancho the Strongwho was buried there. Inside the church there are a spectacular Virgin from the 14th century.
However, the building to visit the most remarkable in Roncesvalles is the chapel of Sancti Spirituscommonly called the Charlemagne Silo. East the oldest building of the city and its name is due to the burial of Frankish warriors who died in 778 during the first battle of Roncesvallesamong them the commander Roland.
The building has a pyramid-shaped dome topped with a small stone cross. Unfortunately, the chapel that can currently be seen it’s not the original. Over time it has been transformed and restored, trying to be as faithful as possible to the original 12th century design.
The chapel sits on it a well which previously served as an ossuarywith masonry walls and a half-barrel vault made of the same material. above the well the temple rises itself, with a square plan and a simple ribbed vault. The arches that decorate it are semicircular and rest on square pillars with an upper facade.
To achieve Roncesvalles you have to drive Highway N-135 Pamplona-Roncesvalles. Charlemagne’s silo is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays both in the morning and in the afternoon.
