The Templars of Ponferrada and the Camino
The Templars in Ponferrada and the Camino de Santiago
The Order of the Temple settled in Ponferrada in 1178 with the aim of defending the Jacobean Route in the region of El Bierzo, protecting the Sil River, serving the interests of Kings Ferdinand II and Alfonso IX, and preventing conflicts between Galician and Leonese nobles vying for dominance over this territory.
The Templars remained in Ponferrada for a century and a half. During this time, they reinforced the castle walls on the outside and, inside, built a Templar convent, dwellings, wine cellars, granaries, and gardens, although few traces of these remain today.
But what was a Templar?
A Templar was a member of a religious and military order—monk warriors—and part of one of the military orders established in the 12th century.
One of the most important Templar commanderies in Spain is the Templar Castle of Ponferrada. It is also one of the most complex medieval fortifications and a clear paradigmatic example of Templar fortification.
History of the Castle of Ponferrada
In the 12th century, the kings of León donated the town of Ponferrada to the Order of the Temple, whose mission was to aid pilgrims passing through their territory.
Ponferrada remained under Templar control until the early 14th century. After several disputes, King Alfonso XI decided to hand over Ponferrada to Pedro Fernández de Castro, one of the most influential figures in Galicia at the time.
The castle changed hands over the centuries, with owners including notable figures such as the Count of Lemos and the Catholic Monarchs.
A popular legend tells of how, before leaving Ponferrada, the Templars discovered the image of a Virgin inside the trunk of a holm oak. This statue became venerated as the Virgin of the Holm Oak, now the patron saint of Ponferrada and El Bierzo, and presides over the altar of the Basilica of La Encina, built over the remains of the old Medieval Church of Santa María (12th century).
The castle we see today is the result of a series of expansions, renovations, and additions, from the original square plan in the early 12th century to the last sections built in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
The castle is situated on a hill 60 meters high and spans an area of 800 m².
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