Religious Studies Tour to Spain – The Way of St. James

We will have use of a private coach and driver while touring. We will continue to the Pamplona area, our base for one night. Breakfast and dinner will be included at the hotel. Pamplona is well-known for the running of the bulls each July, which inspired in Hemmingway a deep love for the city, but it is the lively atmosphere that truly charms visitors and keeps them returning to this capital of Navarra. Explore Pamplona'’s Cathedral, which is built in ochre-colored stone and looks down on a loop in the Río Arga. The current 15th century Gothic building has replaced at least three others on the same site, and we will have the opportunity to explore the 13th and 14th century cloisters from its previous incarnation. Learn about the art and history of Navarre from Prehistoric times to the present day with a visit to the Museo de Navarre. Works of medieval, renaissance and baroque art, as well as religious, and pieces by artists from Navarre of the 19th and 20th centuries make up the Museum's collections. Highlights include the 1st century Roman mosaic of the Triumph of Bacchus, the Romanesque capitals of the ancient cathedral of Pamplona, and the portrait of the Marquis of San Adrián painted by Goya.

During the course of our tour we will gain from the knowledge and insight of seven half-day local guides while we are here in Spain. Today we will travel from the Pamplona area to the Logrono area. En route, we will visit Eunate and Puenta La Reina.

Visit Iglesia de Santa María de Eunate, where the discovery of human bones suggests that the Romanesque Chapel was once a funeral chapel.

Discover the Iglesia de Santiago, featuring a beautiful carved doorway and statues of St. James and St. Barholomew. We will continue to the Logrono area, our base for this evening. Breakfast and dinner will be included at the hotel.

Explore the arguments and tensions that eventually led to one of the most complex and difficult of wars; the Spanish Civil War.

LEAP Activity | Spanish Civil War

Nationalist? Republican? Argue ideology in a revolutionary role-play that delves into the causes of the Spanish Civil War!

Today we will travel from the Logrono area to the Burgos area. En route, we will visit Najera and Santo Domingo de Calzada. A stopping point on the way of St James, the town of Najera is located on the river Najerilla.

Visit Santa María la Real de Nájera. This important pilgrimage site on the Camino de Santiago features ornately carved choir stalls and misericords. The cloister has 24 arches, each supported by three tall, narrow columns.

Continue to the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The Cathedral contains the tomb of, and is named for, its founder Dominic de la Calzada, who built a bridge, a hospital and a hotel to help pilgrims on their journey.

Burgos has long been a destination for travelers to France and Santiago de Compostela. Lying on a central plateau in northern Spain, this ancient city continues to assert its former status as a capital city in the Spanish Gothic architecture of its heyday.

Visit the beautiful Monasterio de la Santa María Real de Las Huelgas. Once a palace, it was transformed in the 12th century into a convent. Many of the medieval rulers of Castilla are buried here and there is a rare collection of medieval textiles on display in the museum. Our base for the next two nights will be the Burgos area, where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel.

Covarrubias is a small picturesque village in the Castile-Leon region of Spain. It has been declared a Conjunto Historico-Artistico, and its restored vernacular buildings and unspoiled natural surroundings make it a popular stop.

Stop at the Colegiata to see the tomb of Fernán Gonzalez, the first independent count of Castile who died in 970 AD. The Pantheon of this intriguing collegiate church houses approximately twenty medieval tombs.

Explore the Catedral de Santa María, one of the most celebrated churches in Europe. Built in diverse styles, predominantly flamboyant Gothic, it took 300 years to complete. The 16th century Capilla del Condestable, behind the main altar, is one of the best examples of Isabelline-Gothic architecture.

Today we will travel from the Burgos area to the Leon area. En route, we will stop in Fromista and Palencia. Visit the Iglesia de San Martín de Frómista. Pilgrims on the Way of St James stopped here and pay homage to the Benedictine San Martin. Stop in Palencia, the seat of Spains first university, to view the Cathedral, a 14th - 16th century Gothic masterpiece with many beautiful sculptures, tapestries and paintings. Also visit the adjacent Museum, featuring a painting of St Sebastian by El Greco and 15th century Flemish tapestries.

The city of León was founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC. Leon grew to prominence in the Middle Ages, and became the leading city of Christian Spain and an important stop on the Camino de Santiago. Today, this tranquil stop offers a wealth of old monuments and medieval architecture.

Visit the Catedral de León (Santa María de Regla), an incredible French Gothic structure built over the remains of Roman baths. Highlights of our visit include 13th century stained glass, one of the oldest choirs in the country, and the beautiful sculpture Virgen de la Esperanza. Our base for tonight will be the Leon area, where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel

Today we will travel from the Leon area to the Villafranca area. En route, we will visit Astorga and Ponferrada. Explore the Museo de los Caminos, displaying sculptures, jewelry and other articles related to the Way of St James. The Museo is located in Antoni Gaudi's Palacio Episcopal, a most fantastic pastiche of a medieval palace.

Visit the town of Ponferrada, dominated by the ruins of the Castillo de los Templares. The town obtained its name from the iron bridge, built in the 11th century for the pilgrims to have access to Santiago de Compostela.

We will continue to Villafranca del Bierzo, our base for tonight. Breakfast and dinner will be included at the hotel

Today we will travel from Villafranca to Santiago de Compostela. En route, we will stop in Lugo. Arrive at Lugo, a Roman town built in the 1st and 2nd century. The Murallas (Town Walls), are over 1 mile long and have 10 gateways into the old quarter.

Our base for the next two nights will be the Santiago de Compostela area, where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel.

Santiago de Compostela is the third-largest holy city of the Christian world, a university town, and a marketplace. A pilgrimage to the tomb of the beheaded apostle St. James is a high point for the faithful who journey here from all over Europe. Santiago de Compostela is also considered to be one of the most romantic and historic of Spain’s great cities. Visit the Cathedral, which is a crowning achievement of Spanish Romanesque architecture. It has three naves in cruciform shape and several chapels and cloisters. Our visit will also include the Cathedral Museum which displays tapestries and archaeological fragments and the Palacio de Gelmírez, an archbishop's palace built during the 12th century. Enjoy a Walking Tour of Santiago de Compostela, which will highlight many of the most impressive buildings and monuments. Highlights of the walk will include the impressive buildings on Plaza del Obradoiro; Hostal de los Reyes Católicos, formerly a royal hospice and, in the 15th century, a pilgrims' hospice and the Monasterio de San Martín Pinario. Explore the Romanesque Santa María del Sar, a collegiate church and one of the architectural gems of the Romanesque style in Galicia. Its walls and columns are on a 15°slant, thought to be attributable to either a fragile foundation or an architect's fancy.

Our rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as our Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on our final day.