| STAGE 3. LEÓN - VILLADANGOS ó VILLAR DE MAZARIFE |
The beauty we have found in León will make us forget we are leaving, since it will bring the previous day’s arrival to mind; again, long residential avenues in the area of Trobajo del Camino, which continues from the city of León. We are accompanied by automobiles as we follow the route. Once we cross the Virgen del Camino (Virgen of the Road), we must decide to either go on the path that runs parallel to the N120 until Villadangos, or to take the route that will take us to Villar de Mazarife. This is a good moment to remember that the road is intention, and that it has no sole determined route. We should plan our route according to the manner best adapted to our needs, just as in the 12th century they planned so as to best serve for repopulation and the spreading of the Roman Church.
Trobajo del Camino
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It has an 18th century hermitage dedicated to Santiago. At the exit, along with the ruins of a stone cross, we can enjoy a panoramic view of León.
La Virgen del Camino
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Patron of the city of León. The sanctuary is a building inaugurated in 1961, rationalist of the Dominican Francisco Coelho of Portugal. The temple and the thirteen bronze statues on the façade are all equally impressive. The work was done by sculptor Joseph Maria Subirachs, representing the Virgin and the twelve apostles. In the interior, we can see a Baroque altarpiece (1730) from the old sanctuary with the Pieta in the center. It was constructed because of the Virgin’s appearance to shepherd Alvar Simón on the edge of the road in 1502 and her order to construct a hermitage in her honor. The construction site was chosen by the very Virgin by throwing a stone as an indicator. It also has a museum of natural science.
Valverde de la Virgen
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The main monumental heritage of this city is its parish church, dedicated to Saint Engracia.
San Miguel del Camino
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This small village had a little lodge in the past, dedicated to the Archangel Saint Michael. There was a lovely engraving of Santiago from the 15th century, which can be found today in León.
Villadangos
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On the altarpiece of the great altar in the Church of Santiago is a representation of Santiago Matamoros, announced at the entrance, with two sculpted scenes of the Clavijo battle. A bloody battle took place here in the year 1111 between Doña Urraca and her ex-husband, Alfonso I the Battler.
Villar de Mazarife
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The true road goes through Villadangos, but it’s quite bad. On the other hand, the Villar road is much more tranquil, given that it goes through the moor. It has almost no towns. |
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