Vilar de Donas Church

Vilar de Donas Church is about 2.5km off the path of the Camino Frances a bit before Plas de Rei and it is where the Order of Santiago buried important members and leaders.

Originally the Church was a part of a monastery (for nuns hence the 'Donas' in the name) founded at the beginning of the 12th century by the family Arias de Monterroso before passing into the hands of the Order of Santiago.

The outside of the Church where Pilgrims may have slept

The entrance

Inside there are many beautiful frescos with those in the apse dating from the 15th century which were commissioned in 1434 by Juan II the King of Castilla and FAther of Isabella. These depict the parable of the ten virgins as well as the Annunciation and Pantocrator. There are also shields with devices of Castilla y Leon and the Order of Santiago.

Despite being declared a national monument in 1931 some parts of the Church are not in a good state of repair - you can see the mould growing here, the below pictures and several others as well

A tomb - I think that this is the one that dates from 1378 and is mounted on two lions who are squashing a boar (representing wrath) and a wolf (to represent evil)

Opening times

To get to the Church turn right after passing the bar of Portos along a gravel road. After 500m there is a fork so keep left and continue over the N-547 (there are signs like the one at the top of the post, it is a fairly gentle walk).

Admission is by donation.

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The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Symbols of the three main Christian Pilgrimages

The symbol of the Pilgrim to Santiago is the Scallop shell of which many can be found on the coast of Galicia and it is actually a symbol of the Pilgrimage (and has become a symbol of other Christian Pilgrimages too) partly because you could find the shell easily there and so could go back home and show it off as proof that you had done the Pilgrimage. It has also been included in carvings in some Churches.

Camino Mascot

Those who have walked the Camino will probably have seen one or more of the Camino mascots along the Way but do you know their names? http://m.elcorreogallego.es/xacobeo/ecg/xubi-jubila-pelegrin-mascota-xacobea/idEdicion-2010-06-08/idNoticia-555962/

On the Camino

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