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The collegiate church of Roncesvalles

Roncesvalles

The historic pilgrim stop below the Pyrenean pass where Roland fell.

Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
  • RegionNavarre, Spain
  • From Saint-Jean~25 km on foot
  • Church13th century
  • Time2 h

Roncesvalles (Orreaga in Basque) is a small cluster of medieval buildings below the Ibañeta pass in Navarre, the first stop in Spain for pilgrims coming over the Pyrenees from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

What to see

  • The Gothic Collegiate Church of Santa María, with a revered silver-covered Virgin.
  • The Chapel of Santiago and the Silo of Charlemagne, an old burial chapel.
  • The museum, with the 'Chessboard of Charlemagne' reliquary.

The Song of Roland

In 778, Charlemagne's rearguard was ambushed in these mountains, and the death of the knight Roland became the subject of the medieval epic The Song of Roland.

Tips

The evening pilgrim mass is a moving experience. Beds in the large pilgrim hostel are best booked ahead in high season.

Tours: Roncesvalles

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The collegiate church of Roncesvalles
The collegiate church of Roncesvalles. Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0

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