Roncesvalles

Roncesvalles / Orreaga municipality
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Navarre
Province :	Navarre
Comarca :	Auñamendi
Coordinates	43 ° 1 ′ N , 1 ° 19 ′ W Coordinates: 43 ° 1 ′ N , 1 ° 19 ′ W
Height :	962 msnm
Area :	15.1 km²
Residents :	22 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	1.46 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	31650
Municipality number ( INE ):	31211
administration
Official language :	Castilian , Basque
Mayor :	Luis Echeverría Echávarren ; (2003)
Website :	www.roncesvalles.es
Location of the municipality

Roncesvalles [ ˌronθesˈβaʎes ] ( Basque Orreaga , French Roncevaux , literal German translation about valley / valleys of the thorn bushes ) is a place in the autonomous region of Navarre in Spain . It is located in the Pyrenees at the southern foot of the Ibañeta Pass (Spanish: Puerto de Ibañeta , French: Col de Roncevaux ) on the Urrobi River .

The fame of the place results on the one hand from its quality as an important pilgrimage station on the Way of St. James , on the other hand from the battle of Roncesvalles on August 15, 778. The rearguard of Charlemagne's troop train was destroyed by the local Basques under the leadership of Roland . which formed the historical basis for the Roland song . There the poet himself lets the Moors appear as opposing actors under Marsilis, but this is probably due to the zeitgeist of the time.

history

Already in pre-Roman times there was a Pyrenees crossing and at the latest since the Romans and their trunk road Bordeaux-Astorga also a pass station.

Charlemagne used the passage from Roncesvalles for his Spanish campaign of 778 , while retreating the battle mentioned above came as revenge for the destruction of Pamplona by Charlemagne's troops. However, other locations are always brought into play as a place for this battle. According to legend, the rock formation of the Brèche de Roland , located almost 100 km to the east , a 40 m wide, 100 m deep and 2807 m high notch in the main ridge of the Pyrenees, above the Cirque de Gavarnie , is said to have originated from a blow by Roland with his sword Durendart .

Roncesvalles became immensely important with the establishment of the Camino de Santiago in 813: three of the four most important pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela go here bundled across the Pyrenees ( Via Podiensis from Puy and Conques, Via Turonensis - from Paris, Tours and Poitiers, Via Lemovicensis - from Vézelay , Limoges and Périgueux. Via Tolosana - Arles, Toulouse - leads over the Somport ).

The coastal route with the many (feared and expensive) river crossings could thus be avoided and the Roland battlefield could be visited at the same time, even if a steep ascent and weather changes deterred the pilgrims.

The place with the old Augustinian monastery from 1132 was an important stopping point on the Way of St. James and has regained this function with the revitalization of the way.

In the valley of Roncesvalles there were battles between the Spanish and the French in April and May 1793 and on July 25, 1813 Soult ousted the English and the Spanish from their position here.

An area of land on Saturn's moon Iapetus was named Roncevaux Terra after the place or the battle .

Roncesvalles Monastery
Roncesvalles Monastery
The Chapel of Santiago in Roncesvalles
La Fleur des Histoires des Jean de Mansel, scene: The battle of Roncesvalles, Roland blows his horn.