Camino Photo of the Day: Eunate Colonnade

Here I am standing in the octagon of pillars and arches surrounding the isolated Iglesia de Santa María de Eunate. No one knows why they were built here. The church itself dates to the mid-12th century, though the first documented evidence of its existence comes almost 300 years later. Based on the unusual octagonal plan, it was most probably built by the Knights Templar, who had an affinity for this design. There is, in fact, a Templar church at the town of Torres del Río, about 55km farther down the Camino. There are, however, no records or hard evidence that the Templars were ever here.

Date: 04 April 2013
Place: Eunate (Navarra, Spain)

Map! (which we are currently not on – we are near to the highway crossing to the left of Obanos and up from Muruzábal)