CAMIÑO DE SANTIAGO Palas de Rei — Melide
HISTORY: PALAS DE REI-MELIDE The French route leaves Palas at Campo dos Romeiros, a traditional meeting point for pilgrims where the spontaneously organized groups of pilgrims used to rearrange. A little further ahead, in the surrounding environment of the pilgrimage path, the Castle of Pambre raises proudly. It is necessary to take a detour and to cross Pambre river. Back to The Way, the welcoming hamlet of Leboreiro soon arises; the place still breathes a medieval atmosphere and its church preserves many Romanesque elements of the primitive workmanship, as the magnificent tympanum of the façade with an image of the Virgin. Opposite to this we can see the ancient pilgrims hostel founded by the Ulloa family in the 12th century. Near this we can see a typical Cabazo, a barn in the shape of big baskets used to store corn. Between Leboreiro and Melide -one of the most lovely stretches of The Way- the hamlet of Furelos and its narrow river bed are crossed by a beautiful medieval bridge. This village is located in the ancient roman Via XIX between Braga and Astorga. Apart from its medieval bridge , called Ponte Velha (Old Bridge), we can see St. John’s church and the pilgrins hostel. In Melide the French route becomes urban. The route advances deep into a village whose historic identity shows a strongly Jacobean personality. This medieval centre was repopulated by order of Alfonso IX in the 13th. century and from that time it retains the façade of the Romanesque Church of San Pedro, now embedded in the Chapel of San Roque. Next to the church we can find one of the oldest stone crosses in Galicia, a 14th. century gothic work which also shows the continued presence of the Marian style in the areas close to the French route. The image of Christ, on the front of the stone cross, derives from the Saviour Christ who dominates the tympanum of the Pórtico da Gloria. The historic centre of Melide stores other two precious artistic treasures: the Church of Sancti Spiritus, a Franciscan foundation of 1375 with some stately crypts from the 15th century, and the Romanesque temple of Santa María de Melide, with a single nave and semicircular apse, decorated on the outside with abundant corbels and two façades. Indoors, the temple still keeps the Romanesque altar and the 16th. century frescos representing the Holy Trinity surrounded by the four symbols of the Evangelists.
INTERNATIONAL HIKING TRAIL SIGNS:
G.R.
MEANING
Long distance trails
P.R. Short distance trails
Route continues
Wrong direction
Change of direction
Sudden change of direction
Route deviation
INTERVIEW WITH SOME OF THE PILGRIMS WE MET WHEN MAKING THE WAY You have to ask about the following issues: Where are they from? Where did they start The Way and how are they making it (walking, biking, horse -riding, ...)?Are they travelling alone or in a group? How long have they been on The Way and what distance do they cover daily ? Where do they usually stay during the journey? What does their diet consist of? What is their motivation to undertake the adventure of The Way? What would they highlight about the journey up to that moment? How would they try to convince someone to make The Way? Interview:
. Describe the clothing and footwear of the pilgrims you met.
Fill in the chart arranging the daily activities chronologically :
TIME
ACTIVITY
PLACE
HISTORICALLY RELEVANT MONUMENTS IN THE ROUTE PONTE FURELOS: Medieval bridge built in the 12th. century with dressed stone. Point out: 1) Number of arches: 2) Form of the cutwaters:
LEBOREIRO: Stage 28th. of the French route. In the Codex Calixtinus it is called "Campus Leporarius" for the abundance of hares in the area. Santa MarĂa: Transitional Romanesque church. 12th. century. Answer: Number of naves: Form of the apse: Number of archivolts on the façade: 3) Describe and draw the sculptural representation of the tympanum:
4) Legend: Do some research about the legend of the image of the Virgin.
MELIDE: Terra de Melide Museum: Archaeological and ethnographical museum organized in 8 rooms. Room 1: Pictures of the monuments found in The Way. Medieval capitals and sarcophagus. History of the Hospital de Peregrinos de Sancti Spiritus. Room 2: Neolithic / Bronze Age.
Room 3: Finds in Castro da Graña, Toques and in the Roman village of Piñor. Small treasure of coins from Sobrado. Collection of coins and watches / clocks. Room 4: Traditional handcrafting: the blacksmith's forge, the carpenter, the shoemaker and the clog maker. Room 5: Agricultural implements. The roofer's tools. Old schools and toys. The barber. Music from Terra de Melide. Room 6: Knitting: linen and wool. Room 7: The house. Room 8: Library and Archive. Restoration. Publications.
Name the most interesting pieces:
San Roque de Melide: The 13th. century façade comes from the demolished parish church of San Pedro. It has capitals decorated in a floral design and beaded archivolts with little arches. Number of pairs of columns: Number of scallops: Indoors, number of sepulchres:
Stone Cross in the atrium of San Roque: According to Castealo, it is the oldest one in Galicia. (14th. century). Briefly describe the figures on the front and back sides: Santa María de Melide: Galician Romanesque jewel. 12th. century.
25th March 2015