SPAIN | León, Spain Travel Guide
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
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Convento de San Marcos
Plaza de San Marcos, C/ Sierra Pambley 4
León
Castilla y León
Spain
98 724 50 61
Type: Religious Site
Addmission Fee: 1.20 Euro
Hours: Tues.-Sun. 10:00 am-2:00 pm and 5:00-8:30 pm
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León
Castilla y León
Spain
98 724 50 61
Type: Religious Site
Addmission Fee: 1.20 Euro
Hours: Tues.-Sun. 10:00 am-2:00 pm and 5:00-8:30 pm
Comments ( 0 )
Rating (0 Votes)
Blister-footed pilgrims have long considered the stretch of the Camino de Santiago passing by León one of the most grueling parts of the walk. In 1173 the convent of San Marcos was established and, along with it, the Knights of the Order of St. James, an elite military contingent charged with protecting the pilgrims and Christianity from the Moors.
The convent served as a hospital where those weary pilgrims could rest and rehabilitate. Nothing of the original convent remains; in its place the 300-foot-long rectangular Renaissance structure with its exquisite plateresque façade was begun in 1513.
Adorning the 18th-century Baroque portal is an equestrian sculpture of the Apostle St. James, while inside the church is decorated with scalloped shells, the symbol of pilgrims along the camino. Though mass is still held in the church, the convent has since been converted into one of Spain’s most splendid tourist paradors.
In building the Hostal San Marcos, every attempt was made to preserve the original construction. If you look closely enough on the old church walls that now double as part of the parador’s walls, you’ll notice names and dates scratched into them by pilgrims hundreds of years ago.
The monastery no longer exists, and a hotel and the provincial archeological museum now occupy its space. The Museo de León claims part of the cloister and, in addition to a collection of 10th- and 11th-century liturgical pieces, it displays mostly archeological relics.
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