2: Lourenzá - Mondoñedo

Mondoñedo

Stage rest and visits, 8 Km.

We quickly go round very small towns with modest chapels from Lourenzá to Mondoñedo, until we finally enter the old Vallibria, Val de Brea, Mondoñedo, the see, one of the seven capitals of the old Kingdom of Galicia. The village was declared as a historical and artistic site and has the North Way Interpretation Centre.

Puente de San Lazaro en Mondoñedo-LugoThe route enters St Lazarus Bridge, where there was a leper hospital in the 14th century. The present bridge was built by Bishop Friar Antonio Sarmiento de Sotomayor in the 18th century.

 

Pilgrims went up the present North Way Street that led them to the Cathedral Square. The lodging for healthy pilgrims was near. They visited the Fonte Vella (old bridge), built in 1548 by Bishop Diego de Soto to solve the lack of water supply in the city. It has four spouts and stairs to get to it and has a vault and the coats of arms of the Bishop and the King.Fonte Vella, Mondoñedo 

 

Catedral de Mondoñedo- Foto Carlos Rodríguez

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say the Cathedral is the most outstanding monument in Mondoñedo. It was erected by Bishop Martin in the first half of the 13th century and has three naves, ten metres wide the central one and six metres wide each of the side ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catedral de mondoñedo

There is a magnificent five metre in diameter rose window in the façade that the historian Villamil y Castro considers to be ‘the best ornamentation in the cathedral’, which provides a special light in the high nave.

The present façade built by Bishop Juan Muñoz y Salcedo dates from the 18th century. The bishop’s coat of arms appears above the rose window

The hand of several masters and Cistercian inspiration is noticed in the historiated and zoomorphic capitals of the façade.

Interior Catedral MondoñedoE

An ambulatory with chapels around the chancel was built in the 16th century. The ogival chapel known as that of the English Virgin is one of the most outstanding ones. It preserves an image of the Virgin, also known as ‘Nosa Señora A Grande’, donated by Alonso Ares de Mourelle in 1555, after having acquired it in Ferrol from some English arriving from London. The image is thought to have been at St Paul Church in London.

 

Frescos góticos en la Catedral de MondoñedoIt preserves frescos (16th century) from the late Gothic, found when the choir was removed from the central nave, which reflect some aspects of St Peter’s life and the Slaughter of the Innocents and the Flight from Egypt.

The rests of the Renaissance choir are in the north part of the transept.
The square plan and Herrerian style cloister was built by Master Ibáñez Pacheco in the 17th century (from 1636 to 1641) and substituted a Gothic cloister.     

The great Baroque altarpiece of the chancel dates from 1769 and the oil paintings from 1773.

Claustro Catedral de Mondoñedo

 

Entering from the Cathedral, we find the Diocesan Museum with valuable works of sacred art which are the result of a laudable work to preserve the artistic heritage of the diocese.

 

Seminario y Obispado Mondoñedo

The façades of the Bishop’s Palace and the Seminary (both from the 18th century),

Virgen de los Remedios Mondoñedo

Santiago Church (19th century) and the Baroque ‘Santuario de los Remedios’, erected by Bishop Sarmiento in the 18th century, are also worth a visit. And already out of the city, we visit Convento dos Picos with a façade from the 18th century, although it is known already in 1285 pilgrims to Compostela were attended here.

 

Barrio de los Molinos, Mondoñedo, Lugo

In the totally restored Barrio de los Molinos, one can observe the works of potters, clog makers, millers, jugglers, photographers, etc.

Puente Mondoñedo

The route towards Lugo and Castile passed along this district and crossed Ruzos Bridge a long time ago. According to the legend, when on 17th December 1483 the troops of the Catholic Kings had arrested Marshal Pardo de Cela and was going to be executed for having opposed to the royal forces, several canons distracted Isabel de Castro’s attention, the Marshal’s wife, so that she could not arrive in time to present the reprieve the Monarchs had granted his husband. Pardo de Cela was beheaded at the main square of Mondoñedo. Since then, this bridge was known as ‘Puente del Pasatiempo’ and the Marshal came into history and legend.