Royal Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles, Roncesvalles, Spain

The Royal Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles was built in the French Gothic style. King Sancho VII built this church in the 13th century as part of the hospital’s facilities in Roncesvalles; its purpose was to provide succour to pilgrims on the Way of Saint James after crossing the Pyrenees. Highlights include the cloister, the chapel of San Agustín, the chapel of Santiago and the crypt, consisting of a straight section of barrel vault and a pentagonal apse. The walls and vaults are covered in mural paintings dating from the 13th century. The art treasures of the Royal collegiate church are housed in a museum in one of the rooms in the church, and include a particularly interesting collection of precious metalwork, exhibited in six display cases. Also outstanding is a chess set belonging to the Emperor Charlemagne, a Renaissance silver chest and a silver-plated wooden statue of the Virgin and Child. There is also a selection of paintings, books and sculptures.

References:

spain.info

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Nicole Andrea Mondragon Franco (2 months ago)
A sight to see. It was totally worth it, I really recommend you take the guided tour.

Raymon Heath (3 months ago)
Nice church in a fabulous spot at the top of the pass between france and spain also great place to stop for a coffee before visiting either country ?

P G (9 months ago)
Beautiful church with a Camino albergue. By the time we arrived at 2pm, we were told 400 people had arrived looking for one of their 250 beds. Volunteers were so very kind despite being overwhelmed, and the church was a peaceful break for a contemplative moment before continuing on.

Vincent Tan (2 years ago)
Nice and clean albergue and bed bug free. The people who served there are nice. Dinner served was delicious.

Rob Tickner (2 years ago)
Great led lighting

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Royal Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus