Santo Domingo of Calzada

Santo Domingo of Calzada (Basque " Ozkabarte") is a commune located at the north of the Spain, place chief of the comarca (canton) of “Rioja Alta”, in the autonomous Communauté of Rioja.

Population: 6069 inhabitants in 2004.

the inhabitants are called: Calceatenses.

This small town constitutes one of the jewels of Camino frances, the way of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle. It is there that holy Dominique undertook to construct a roadway (calzada) to make it possible to the pilgrims to cross the marshy ground. The village which was created on the spot was thus baptized in homage to the saint.

Demography

Geography

Located in the Western end of the Community of Rioja, to 45 km of Logroño, the foot of the Sierra of the Request, on the edges of Rio Oja or Glera. Altitude: 638 m

History

In the year 1044, holy Dominique builds the bridge on the Oja river, as well as a vault dedicated to Santa María, a hospital and an inn for the pilgrims.
In 1076, Alphonse VI of Castille, indicator who the development of the Way contributed to its project of conquest of this zone, support works of Dominique. The “city” started with some houses built around the hermitage during its vie.
Santo Domingo is already a small town in XIe century, and it quoted for the first time in a cartulaire of 1136. This small core concentrated its population around the church and the hospital which had been built by Dominique saint.

The city will be under the supervision of the abbot until 1250, date on which it will pass under that of the king. The population settled along the Old working; all the part of the Way which, coming since Logroño, arrived to the Cathedral and which was formed by the first houses which appeared in the city, and the new District; the remainder of the way which goes since the Cathedral to the exit towards Burgos and which is the result of a planning thought to facilitate the installation of a new population. This population growth occurred following the fueros (charters) that Alphonse VIII granted between 1187 and 1207.
At the end of XIIIe century was creates the district of San Pedro, in front of the Cathedral, and of the suburb of Margubete in the northern zone.
Throughout XIVe and XVe centuries, one builds the fortifications and appear: the suburb of Peubla in the southern zone, the District of the Market behind the Cathedral and the street del Pinar, the city acquires the presentation that we know to him today, el casco antiguo, it is the historical center.
XVIe century experiences the urban development, it counts 3000 inhabitants, including those of the new suburbs which were created; that of San Castling, close to the Door is street del Pinar, and that of San Francisco, around the convent of the same name.
After one century of uncertainties and crisis as the remainder of Spain, the XVIIIe century gathers the rise of a new urban development, fruit of a new design of the company, the reorganization of the Mayor Place with the buildings of Corregimiento (Gendarmerie) and the Town hall; the new walks del Espolón and of Will square, and especially, one draws up the Tower in the space which was hitherto occupied by the prison, currently transferred in the Corregimiento building

Culture and inheritance

The bell-tower baroque of the cathedral, independent of the principal building, is detached from the horizon, and is used as benchmark with kilometers with the round. One also finds many restaurants with Santo Domingo of Calzada, as well as a parador, which was the subject of a recent restoration.

The Pilgrimage of Compostelle

On the Camino frances of the Pilgrimage of Saint-Jacques-to-Compostelle.
One comes from Cañas or of Azofra, the next commune is Grañon, and the church Saint Jean Baptiste.

According to the Guide of the Pilgrim of Aimery Picaud the holy body that should be honoured is Saint Dominique of the Roadway.

the pilgrims sang in the Grande Song in IXéme verse:

When we were in Saint Dominique

Hélas! my God!

We entered inside the church

to request God

the miracle of the pilgrim

By our address

Have yes the cock to sing

Of which we were well ease

The Miracle of hang-depended

Monk

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo of Calzada

The Convent of San Francisco

The Convent of San Francisco was built at the beginning of the XVIIe century by the Archbishop of Saragossa, Fray Bernardo de Fresneda, confessor of the king Philippe II.
The church is of only one nave with small side chapels. Its entry is located under the chorus. The retable was built in 1602, and intervene various painters of Burgos.
Its founder who was very cultivated, left all his goods to create the convent of franciscains, with the intention which it transforms into University, for that it founded the College of San Buenaventura.

After the desamortización of Mendizabal (privatization) it had different utilizations.
Currently part of the convent is a residence for people old, called Hôpital of the Saint. There is moreover the Workshop Diocesan of Restoration of Works of Article the church remains practically closed with the worship.
There exists a project which is in production run which will transform part of the convent into a Hotel. And one would create in the church and the sacristy a museum diocesan of works of art religious.

The Monastery of Cisterciennes

The Monastery Cistercien “Notre-Dame of the Annunciation” was built by the Bishop of the Diocese of Calahorra it Calzada, Pedro Manso de Zúñiga. Work continued until 1620.
The church of the monastery has the shape of Latin cross and has a retable baroque which in its central part appears the Annunciation, holder of the monastery.
In side of the church there exists a sarcophagus with the statues of three bishops. That of the medium corresponds to the founder Pedro Manso de Zúñiga and the side ones correspond to its nephews.

Civilian

The strengthened enclosure

Built by king Pierre Ier de Castille in 1367. One currently preserves twelve turns and at the North-East of the city of the fragments of the strengthened enclosure, all out of stone of size. However it is the greatest whole of fortification existing in Rioja.
One preserves also three of the eight doors. The principal one is Arco of Carrera located near to the Town hall.

Plaza Del Santo

It is the historical heart of the old city. It is delimited by a hermitage, the Cathedral, the tower baroque and Parador National, old hospital of the pilgrims.
This place was the place of the weekly market until the Marquis de Ciriñuela, in 1789, the interdict, under threat of a fine of two pesetas, not to disturb the sermons in the Cathedral.

Plaza Mayor.

Monumental and paved, it is bordered of the arcades of the town hall. It is in the middle of the city, where one can also take the coffee under the old vaults.

The house of San Domingo

Managed by a brotherhood with her name which existed already in XIIe century, it shelters the inn of the pilgrims. Its gold book filled in all the languages is with him only a historic building.

The hospital of the pilgrims

it is vis-a-vis the cathedral, built by the saint, then rebuilt in XVIe century. It shelters Parador National today.

Bonds

Camino frances
Localization on the chart
the way since Nàjera
Gallery of images

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