El Acebo
| Molinaseca municipality: El Acebo | |||
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| coat of arms | Map of Spain | ||
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| Basic data | |||
| Autonomous Community : | Castile and Leon | ||
| Province : | Leon | ||
| Comarca : | El Bierzo | ||
| Coordinates | 42 ° 30 ′ N , 6 ° 27 ′ W | ||
| Height : | 1150 msnm | ||
| Residents : | 37 (2011) INE | ||
| Postal code : | 24413 | ||
| Area code: | 24100000100 | ||
El Acebo is a very small town on the Camino de Santiago in the province of León in the Autonomous Community of Castile and León . The place name refers to the European holly .
The picturesque place is a very good example of the mountain villages in the upper Bierzo : The houses are made of slate, the typical building material of the region, and are covered with it. Another characteristic are the wooden balconies facing the street, which can usually be reached via external stairs.
Oral tradition says that in the Middle Ages the inhabitants were exempt from paying tribute to the king in return for the erection and maintenance of eight hundred stakes to mark the pilgrimage route (at this height, particularly important in snow).
As in other villages on the Camino de Santiago, the revival of the pilgrimage improved the economic base of the village: In addition to communal and private hostels, there are some holiday homes called Casas Rurales , and a grocery store has reopened. The only restaurant whose owner is also the owner of the private and manager of the communal hostel has a mixed reputation among pilgrims: good cuisine, poor service. The latter has meanwhile found its way into some current pilgrim guides.
The village church is dedicated to St. Michael and houses a polychrome figure who is supposed to represent Santiago . Because its traditional attributes are missing, the Evangelist John (Apostle) or Jesus Christ are also possible .
At the end of the village, a modern monument made of reinforced steel commemorates the death of the German bicycle pilgrim Heinrich Krause, who died here on August 13, 1987.
Cyclists are therefore still warned about the winding and steep descent to Molinaseca .
After the monument, the road to Compludo branches off. Saint Fructuosus is said to have founded his first monastery here in the 7th century and consecrated it to Saint Justo and Pastor. In connection with the monastery, the medieval forge of Compludo must also be seen, which is still operational and whose hammers are still driven with the same medieval water drive. Legend has it that the sword that Pelayo used in the legendary Battle of Covadonga was forged here .
literature
- Míllan Bravo Lozano: Practical pilgrim guide. The Camino de Santiago. Editorial Everest, Léon 1994, ISBN 84-241-3835-X .
Web links
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