Camino de Santiago (2nd day)
02/05/2025
Castillo de los Templarios (castle)
This castle was amazing and seemingly went on forever. Below is a little history. Castillo de los Templarios in Ponferrada was occupied by native Iberians and is protected by hills, mountains, and two rivers on all sides. Romans took over Ponferrada for mining operations. It became a large and prosperous Roman settlement and it was overrun by Visigoths (5th century) and North Afriancs (9th century). In 1178, Templars made Ponferrada a main stop on the Camino to protect and serve pilgrims and the road. In the 13th century they built the massive castle that defines the iconic image of Templar Ponferrada. Hidden inside the castle is the ability to draw water from the Sil river without leaving the keep.
Basilica de Nuestra, Senora de la Encina (temple)
Inside the Basilica de Nuestra, Senora de la Encina the floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross; the upper part of the sanctuary forms a semi-hexagon; the transept has short, wide arms. At the foot of the tower, to the left of the entrance, is the baptistery, and to the right are the stairs leading to the gallery. In the center is a vestibule with side openings. In the second section, on the left, there is a side door with a neoclassical pediment on the exterior (2nd half of the 17th century ) The old medieval church of Santa María, erected at the end of the 12th century , had five altars, whose titular altars were Santa María (the largest), San Pedro, Santa Catalina, Santo Domingo and Santiago. It had a bell tower with four bells. The entire church was widely criticized, claiming it was small, poorly built, indecent... For this reason, in 1567, the purveyor of the Bishopric of Astorga allowed the town to build a new church. Shortly afterwards, he ordered its construction.
