scruffy1
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Holy Year from Pamplona 2010, SJPP 2011, Lisbon 2012, Le Puy 2013, Vezelay (partial watch this space!) 2014; 2015 Toulouse-Puenta la Reina (Arles)
In Puente la Reina at the little square on Calle del Crucifijo stands the hostel of the Padres Reparadores, the former pilgrims' hospital, and La Iglesia del Crucifijo. This marvelous Romanesque church is attributed to the Knights Templar (yet another one and thankfully not as outlandish as the fortress in Ponferrada) and was passed to the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John in the 14th century with the dissolution of the Templars by Phillip IV of France. The building is amazing and the crucifix is often described mysterious. Pilgrims may receive a sello from the concierge of the hospital.
The hospital which gave its name to the Knights of Malta was founded in Jerusalem before the conquest of the Holy Land by the Crusaders. It grew in size and importance with the foundation of the Latin Kingdom in 1099 until it covered an area of about 3 acres. The location of this hospital in Jerusalem was known to historians and archeologists have been excavating the spot now for some time. The reconstruction of one of the halls is now complete a room of 30 by 50 meters and is now open for viewing. So we now have a direct line from Puente la Reina to Malta to Rhodes to Cyprus to Acre to Jerusalem. The most impressive remaining structure of the Knights of Malta, Le Crac des Chevaliers, is also located in my area but pilgrims are recommended not to visit at this time, mundane considerations of civil war dampen the pilgrim spirit.
A photograph taken during reconstruction may be seen here: http://www.haaretz.co.il/polopoly_fs/1. ... 541174.jpg
The hospital which gave its name to the Knights of Malta was founded in Jerusalem before the conquest of the Holy Land by the Crusaders. It grew in size and importance with the foundation of the Latin Kingdom in 1099 until it covered an area of about 3 acres. The location of this hospital in Jerusalem was known to historians and archeologists have been excavating the spot now for some time. The reconstruction of one of the halls is now complete a room of 30 by 50 meters and is now open for viewing. So we now have a direct line from Puente la Reina to Malta to Rhodes to Cyprus to Acre to Jerusalem. The most impressive remaining structure of the Knights of Malta, Le Crac des Chevaliers, is also located in my area but pilgrims are recommended not to visit at this time, mundane considerations of civil war dampen the pilgrim spirit.
A photograph taken during reconstruction may be seen here: http://www.haaretz.co.il/polopoly_fs/1. ... 541174.jpg
