Granja de Moreruela to Sanabrés Route
Via de la Plata
Camino Sanabrés
Granja de Moreruela is where the road forks and where you make a decision that will shape the rest of your Camino. You can continue north along the Via de la Plata to Astorga (93.8 km) and pick up the Camino Frances from there, or you can turn west onto the Camino Sanabres toward Santiago via Ourense (366 km). Most pilgrims on the Via de la Plata choose the Sanabres option, and with good reason -- it's a direct line to Santiago through some of the least populated, most quietly beautiful country in Spain.
Before you leave Granja, walk out to the ruins of the Monasterio de Santa Maria de Moreruela, about 2 km west of the village. What's left -- the apse, with its ambulatory and ring of seven chapels -- is enough to give you a sense of the scale this place once commanded. Founded in the 12th century, Moreruela was one of the earliest Cistercian monasteries on the Iberian Peninsula, a daughter house of Clairvaux itself. The church alone was 63 metres long. Most of it is gone now, but the apse still stands tall against the sky, and in the early morning light it's a fine place to start a journey.
The village itself has a small shop, a bar, and an albergue. Services are basic. Stock up on what you need -- the first 18 km to Faramontanos de Tabara have nothing.
The Monasterio de Santa Maria de Moreruela was founded around 1131-1133, making it a strong candidate for the oldest Cistercian foundation in Spain. Under the patronage of Alfonso VII, the monastery became a daughter house of Clairvaux and in turn mothered Nogales Abbey (1164) and Aguiar Abbey in Portugal (1165). The Romanesque church, begun around 1170 and finished in the second quarter of the 13th century, was built in the shape of a Latin cross stretching 63 metres in length. Its ambulatory apse with seven radiating chapels followed the plan of Clairvaux itself. Like so many monastic houses in Spain, Moreruela was emptied by the ecclesiastical confiscations of 1835 and slowly crumbled. What remains of the apse is considered one of the finest examples of Cistercian architecture in the country.
The Camino Sanabres turns left and due west from Granja. It follows farm tracks to reach the Puente Quintos (6.7 km) over the Rio Esla. Once over the bridge, the route splits into two options to reach Faramontanos de Tabara. The right route follows the road and is preferred when rains have been heavy. Follow the road to the first paved left turn to descend and rejoin the left route. The left route turns left at the end of the bridge to follow a more scenic trail along the river.
There are no services for the first 18 km. Carry food and water from Granja.
Comments