Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: hopital

Just a few kilometers south of the pass, near the (huge and ugly!) winter resort of Cadanchu the ruins of "St Christina of Somport" are next to the "camino". This "hopital" is mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus, one the earliest known tourist guidebooks, written by Aymeric Picaud. Here the many pilgrims could stop and recover after having crossed the Col du Somport. St. Christina had a great reputation (similar to the Great St. Bernard Hospice in the Alps). Even Papal bulls considered the convent "unum de tribus mundi hospitalibus”.

Around 1115 Viscount Gaston IV of Béarn founded a "hopital" here for the pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella. He was called "le Croisé" due to his participation in the First Crusade, actually he was the first crusader to enter the city of Jerusalem on July 15, 1099. The still existing buildings and the church "Saint-Blaise" were erected between 1130-1140. A hospital existed here upto the French Revolution. An old graveyard with numerous old discodial tomb-steles is south of the church. The recently renovated buildings are used for exhibitions in the summer months. As well accomodations are offered to the tired pilgrims. I was not tired, so I got a "tampon" in my "credencial", took lots of photos - and moved on.