2013 - Morlaàs - Puente la Reina Walking

I reached Puente la Reina. This is the portal of the Iglesia del Crucifijo, once erected outside of the town and belonging to a convent of the Knights Hospitaller. Successors of the knights still exists under the name "Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta". During medieval times the Knights Hospitaller supported the pilgrims by operating "hopitals". Even today pilgrims may stay here a night. In Puente la Reina the "Camino Aragonés" joins the "Camino Francés", which is the busiest of all caminos. So there are hundreds of beds in different hostels in town. As this was the very last day of my walk - I choose a hotel.

This bridge gave the name to the town. The "Puente la Reina" was commissioned either by Doña Mayor, wife of Sancho III, or by Doña Estefanía, wife of García III of Navarra. For sure, it was a Queen (= Reina), who built this six-arched bridge over the Rio Arga. The bridge is about 110 meters long and 4 meters wide and serves the pilgrims since the 11th century. This bridge marks the end of the "Via Tolosana" and the "Camino Aragonés", as from here on all the pilgrims follow the busy "Camino Francés". Some years ago, after having reached Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (from Vezelay), I had walked the first leg of the "Camino Francés" to Roncesvalles, but walking in such large groups is not my prefered way to move around. So I did not continue. So this ended my walk, but I stayed in the area for a while.