Via Podiensis

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The historic Camino de Santiago in France

The Via Podiensis ( Latin via = way, podium = Le Puy (dt. 'Hilltop')) is one of the four historic pilgrimage routes in France . Today it essentially coincides with the GR 65 long-distance hiking trail (French: sentier de grande randonnée ). It leads from Le Puy-en-Velay in Auvergne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrenees .

Pilgrimage

The era of pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela began in the 10th century. One of the first guaranteed travelers was Bishop Godeschalk von Puy in 951 . The route is described for the first time in the pilgrimage guide of the Liber Sancti Jacobi from the 12th century.

The starting point of the Via Podiensis is the Notre-Dame cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay in Auvergne . It first leads over the Massif Central to the Abbey of Aubrac, in the municipality of Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac , and through the Dourdou de Conques gorge reaches the monastery church of Sainte-Foy in Conques , famous in the Middle Ages for its relics of St. Fides . The next important destination is the Benedictine Abbey of Figeac . With a detour you can visit Rocamadour, a little to the north, with the remains of St. Amadour .

The path follows the Lot to Cahors , where it turns south. Other monasteries on the way were in Moissac and La Romieu . In Gascony , Condom and Aire-sur-l'Adour are crossed. South of the Gave de Pau it goes into the Pyrenees to Ostabat , where the Via Podiensis joins the pilgrimage routes via Turonensis and Via Lemovicensis , which run to the north . After Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port , it crosses the border into Spain at the Col de Roncevaux . From there, the pilgrimage route is called Camino Francés .

World heritage

In 1998, UNESCO designated the “ Paths of the Pilgrims of St. James in France ” as a World Heritage Site , similar to the Camino Francés in Spain. In contrast to Spain, however, in France one had to admit that it was not possible to protect the actual medieval routes, because modern road construction and route changes that could no longer be reconstructed had made them largely disappear. Instead, individual buildings that are important for the pilgrimage tradition were selected as representatives.

Only on the Via Podiensis could sections still be identified that made it possible to preserve a monument. There are seven relatively short sections between:

The protected historical route is not always identical to the modern long-distance hiking route GR 65: The modern route crosses before Ostabat z. B. the Bidouze , meets at the so-called Croix de Gibraltar on a mountain top on the other routes and turns there to the south; In the Middle Ages, however, people traveled through Saint-Palais to the north and then followed the course of the valley via Uhart-Mixe .

The protected structures also include some old bridges on Via Podiensis : the pilgrim bridge over the Boralde in Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac, the old bridge in Espalion , the bridge over the Lot in Estaing , the bridge over the Dourdou in Conques and the Artigue bridge at Beaumont-sur-l'Osse . The Pont Valentré in Cahors is also on the way.

Routing

Department Places in order of reaching
Haute Loire Le Puy-en-Velay - Montbonnet - Monistrol-d'Allier - Saugues
Lozère Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole - Aumont-Aubrac - Nasbinals
Aveyron Aubrac - Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac - Saint-Côme-d'Olt - Espalion - Estaing - Golinhac - Espeyrac - Sénergues - Conques - Noailhac - Decazeville - Livinhac-le-Haut
Lot Montredon - Saint-Félix - Figeac - Béduer - Gréalou - Cajarc - Varaire - Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie - Marcilhac-sur-Célé - Sauliac-sur-Célé - Cahors - Lascabanes
Tarn-et-Garonne Lauzerte - Moissac - Auvillar
Gers Flamarens - Miradoux - Lectoure - La Romieu - Condom - Beaumont-sur-l'Osse - Flaran Monastery
Country Aire-sur-l'Adour - Miramont-Sensacq - Pimbo
Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arthez-de-Béarn - Sauvelade - Navarrenx - Charre - Aroue-Ithorots-Olhaïby - Saint-Palais - Ostabat-Asme - Larceveau-Arros-Cibits - Saint-Jean-le-Vieux - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Picture gallery

  • Notre Dame Cathedral in Le Puy

  • Old and new trail markings in Le Puy

  • Crossroads on the bridge over the Boralde

  • Old bridge in Espalion

  • Sainte-Foy monastery church in Conques

  • Pont Valentré in Cahors

  • Interior view of the Saint-Pierre Cathedral in Condom

  • Cloister of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre in Moissac

  • Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

literature

  • Bettina Forst: French Way of St. James - Via Podiensis from Le Puy-en-Velay to the Pyrenees , Bergverlag Rother 4th edition 2015. ISBN 978-3-7633-4350-8
  • Norbert Rother: France: Jakobsweg - Via Podiensis , Conrad-Stein-Verlag, 8th edition 2011/12. ISBN 978-3-86686-287-6
  • Louis Laborde-Balen: Du Puy en Velay à Roncevaux par le GR 65 , guide with maps. ISBN 2-905521-50-3
  • Féderation Française de la Randonée Pédestre: GR 65, sentier de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle: Le Chemin du Puy: Moissac-Roncevaux , FFRP, Paris 1999. ISBN 2-85699-756-2
  • Heinrich Wipper: Hiking on the French Way of St. James. Via Podiensis. DuMont Reiseverlag, Ostfildern 2008. ISBN 978-3-7701-8009-7
  • Bert Teklenborg: Way of St. James of Joy - From Strasbourg to Santiago . Tyrolia Innsbruck 2008. ISBN 978-3-7022-2625-1
  • Bert Teklenborg: Cycling along the Camino de Santiago. From the Rhine to the western end of Europe. (Cycling guide, route planner). 3rd revised edition. Publishing House Tyrolia, Innsbruck 2007, ISBN 978-3-7022-2626-8 .
  • Carmen Rohrbach : Mussels on the way - With the donkey on the Camino de Santiago through France . National Geographic Frederking & Thaler Verlag GmbH, 2002. ISBN 3-89405-246-5

Web links

Commons : Via Podiensis  - collection of images, videos and audio files
  • Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).