Pidre: Church, Bridge and Camino Francés

Pidre combines sacred architectural history with prominent landmarks along the Camino Francés. The village is home to Santa María de Pidre Church; the local thematic highlights also include the Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, the Ponte de A Mercede, and the route to Balneario de Frádegas. Thus, in Pidre, a church, chapel, bridge, and a path along the Ulla come together.

Culture

The Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Pidre is Romanesque. As a chapel, it is one of the cultural heritage elements outside the BIC area associated with the 1993 World Heritage declaration of the Way of St. James. This independent sacred building adds another Romanesque motif to the view of Santa María. For those interested in culture, Pidre’s two clearly defined themes of sacred architecture are the Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Rosario and the west portal of Santa María. The chapel represents an independent sacred building, while the portal represents a specific structural component of the church. Together, they lead from the Romanesque chapel to the surviving forms of the church building.

The west portal of Santa María Church is almost the only unchanged Romanesque element preserved in the church of Pidre. The western portal has two archivolts and a chambran surrounding the larger archivolt.

History

Santa María de Pidre Church was built towards the end of the 12th century; its west portal is almost the only unchanged Romanesque element preserved in the church of Pidre. The two archivolts and the chambran running around the larger archivolt characterize the western portal of Santa María without reducing the sacred building to a single detail.

Camino Francés

Santa María de Pidre Church is associated with the Camino Francés. The Ponte de A Mercede is also associated with the Camino Francés. The bridge is located in Pidre, at the place of A Ponte Mercé, and is a medieval bridge over the Ulla River between Palas de Rei and Antas de Ulla. Thus, Pidre has two different architectural testimonies connected with the Way of St. James: the church building and the historic crossing of the river. For pilgrims interested in the route, Santa María Church and the Ponte de A Mercede in Pidre represent two different structures along the Camino Francés. The sacred building and the medieval bridge each represent their own architectural motif. The route to Balneario de Frádegas expands this thematic field with the path across the Ponte Mercede and along the Ulla.

Routes

The route to Balneario de Frádegas can be walked and travelled by mountain bike or touring bicycle. It crosses the Ponte Mercede and then follows the course of the Ulla towards Santa Mariña. The route thus combines several modes of transport with a medieval bridge, the river course, and the destination of Balneario de Frádegas.

Particularly characteristic are Santa María Church with its Romanesque west portal, the Romanesque Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, and the Ponte de A Mercede on the Ulla River.

Other places: Triacastela, Lugo, Camposo, Donís, O Outeiro, Bascuas, Chantada, Ribas de Sil.

Travel Overview

To the higher-level travel overview: Lugo.