Camino Photo of the Day: Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Encina
After a lunch that included a cup of goopy chocolate and some churros, we proceeded to the basilica. Enshrined within is an image of Virgin and Child that reportedly came from Jerusalem in the fifth century and is now honoured throughout El Bierzo. It was hidden during the Islamic conquest – so well, in fact, that it was lost for almost 500 years. It was discovered during the construction of the nearby castle. As wood was gathered for the construction, a particular oak was split, revealing a Byzantine-style image of Mother and Child. The current church housing the image, completed at the end of the 17th century, replaced the old medieval church that stood on this site. Since 2016 was a jubilee year, the basilica had designated holy doors. More on that tomorrow.
Date: 23 April 2016
Place: Ponferrada (Castilla y León, Spain)
Today’s maps!
Since Ponferrada is not our stopping point today, you get two maps.
