Fountain of roland / Monastero di Roncisvalle

[Roland Abi Hanna]

Hello all,
As you may have already noticed my name is 'Roland" and i have been named after the 'Chanson de roland' AKA song of Roland..

i would love to pass by that place during my camino as a tribute to my parents where i plan to send them photos/purchase a souvenir from there, and also pick up a stone which i will put down at cruz de ferro..


as i will start in 2 days (2 september) from saint jean pied de port...
researching that area i found that i could pass by 'fountain of roland' by taking the 'route of napoleon'
or i can pass by 'pass Roncisvalle' by taking the valcarlos route; which gets me closer to Monastero di Roncisvalle..

any information about these two locations when it comes to 'chanson de roland' ?
i have unconfirmed articles that 'Roland' was/is burried in Monastero di Roncisvalle , can anyone please shed more light on this ?

i prefer to take the valcarlos route, though not at the expense of missing the 'Chanson de roland' historic location

 

[mspath]

Here is a modern print depicting Charlemagne mounted finding Roland dead in August 778 on the what will become the Valcarlos route near Roncevalles. (For a further description of the history of this scene see Roncesvalles.es) Hence the village of Valcarlos was named in honor of Carlos ie. Charlemagne.

It may come as a surprise but the Valcarlos route was THE original medieval pilgrims' path through the mountains and pass to Roncevalles; the present Napoleon camino over the mountains to Roncevalles is later.

Whatever the season always ask for advice at the SJPdP Pilgrim office before setting out on either route !

On a Ports de Cize map which the SJPdP Pilgrim Office distributes showing both routes to Roncesvalles the location of Roland's Fountain is indeed marked on the Napoleon route near the upper left corner. Near the upper right corner and on the Valcarlos route is a contemporary chapel on an earlier site of a medieval pilgrim hospital dedicated to Roland.

For more info on the legendary figure whose name you share see this Wikipedia article and links.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

 

[Roland Abi Hanna]

Here is a modern print depicting Charlemagne mounted finding Roland dead in August 778 on the Valcarlos route near Roncevalles. (For a further description of the history of this scene see Roncesvalles.es) Hence the village of Valcarlos was named in honor of Carlos ie. Charlemagne.

It may come as a surprise but the Valcarlos route was THE original medieval pilgrims' path through the mountains and pass to Roncevalles; the present Napoleon camino over the mountains to Roncevalles is later.

Whatever the season always ask for advice at the SJPdP Pilgrim office before setting out on either route !

On a Ports de Cize map which the SJPdP Pilgrim Office distributes showing both routes to Roncesvalles the location of Roland's Fountain is indeed marked on the Napoleon route near the upper left corner. Near the upper right corner and on the Valcarlos route is a contemporary chapel on an earlier site of a medieval pilgrim hospital dedicated to Roland.

For more info on the legendary figure whose name you share see this Wikipedia article and links.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

Thank you!! appreciate the information and taking the time to dig this up!!

 

[Felipe]

Hello all,
i would love to pass by that place during my camino as a tribute to my parents where i plan to send them photos/purchase a souvenir from there, and also pick up a stone which i will put down at cruz de ferro..

Well, there are not tourist shops in Cruz de Roldán. Just a cross and a fountain. Pilgrims tend to stop there for a while to catch their breadth.
You will find a place just before Najera, where Roldan supposedly had a mano a mano fight with Farragut, a Saracen giant (9 feet tall!). It is a kind of a conical stone hut, with a plaque about the legend.
Buen camino!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

At least according to legend Roland is buried near the albergue at Roncevalles. On the Route Napoleon there is a fountain on the camino named after Roland near the Spain/France border. Other than the name I know of no other significance with Roland. At Puerto de Ibañeta, the high point of the Valcalos and near a chapel, is a monument to Roland. The good news is that you can see all three in one day on the same walk.

Take the Route Napoleon to see the fountain. At the high point of this route, the Col Lepoeder, the camino descends by a steep path. Do NOT take this but take the road down. The Friends of the Camino in SJPdP recommend taking this road anyway. The road will go to Puerto de Ibañeta where you can see the monument. Then continue on the Valcarlos route to the albergue and ask about the grave.

Here is a picture of the Roland monument:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/camino-photos/monument-to-roland.2394/

A copy of the map distributed by Friends of the Camino in SJPdP:

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-svGxhA7_...7LkW312QKSgpe_QCLcB/s640/img-a2aaf%5B1%5D.jpg

On this forum is a photograph by Felipe of the Col Lepoeder signpost. Here is a link to to the photo and also the text that Felipe added:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...riant-to-roncesvalles-by-ibañeta-chapel.5686/

Signpost at Lepoeder. Easier variant to Roncesvalles, by Ibañeta chapel

When you arrive at Lepoeder you can go straigth and by the forest way (scenic, but very steep), or turn right by the easier paved road to Ibañeta chapel, and then a final short path to Roncesvalles. This is indicated in the signpost as "Alternativa suave" (meaning "soft")


Buen Camino Roland

 

[BShea]

 

[caminka]

the monastery in roncesvalles claims to have roland's horn oliphant and his mace. they should be displayed in the monastery's museum
remains of roland and the rearguard are said to have been interred in capilla de espiritu santo in roncesvalles.

on the descent to zubiri you pass paso de roldan where the largest of the boulders is said to represent the exact measure of roland's step. (there are several such boulders around these parts.)

one of the capitals in one of the windows of palacio de los reyes de navarra in estella shows roland defeating the giant ferragut with a spear. there is even an inscription that says 'rollan' and the name of the stonemason who carved the capital.

a replica (I think) of the capital featuring roland and ferragut fighting is on a wall on the main road in navarette. the original is supposed to be on the portal of the hospital de san juan which now serves as navarette's cemetery entrance. the capitals are on the inside, facing the cemetery.

another capital featuring roland and ferragut fighting is in the church of san juan de ortega.

if you squint at more capitals in romanesque or gothic churches, you might find other knights that look like they could be roland and ferragut fighting. roland is typically depicted with the long norman shield, the norman helmet and chainmail. ferragut usually wields a (spiked) mace, has a beard, wears some sort of animal skin and is obviously larger then roland.

enjoy spotting them!