All Topics  
Roncesvalles

 
Roncesvalles

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Roncesvalles
 
 
  Topics Roncesvalles Topic Home

Roncesvalles ( ) is a small village and municipality
Municipality

A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
 of northern Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 (Navarrese Towns
List of municipalities in Navarre

This is a list of the municipalities in the provinces of Spain and autonomous community of Navarre, Spain.r>'NamePop.'...
), in the province
Provinces of Spain

In addition to its Autonomous Communities, Spain is divided into fifty provinces.Formerly of greater importance, since the arrival of the Autonomous communities of Spain the provinces have had fewer powers....
 of Navarre
Navarre

Navarre is a region in northern Spain, constituting one of its autonomous communities in Spain - the "Foral Community of Navarre" ....
. It is situated on the small river Urrobi at an altitude of 900 meters (2,950 ft.) among the Pyrenees
Pyrenees

The Pyrenees are a mountain range in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. They separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe, and extend for about from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea ....
, and within five miles of the French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 frontier. Population in 2007 was 24.

Roncesvalles is famous in history and legend for the defeat of Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
 and the death of Roland
Roland

Roland is a character in medieval literature and Renaissance literature, the chief paladin of Charlemagne and a central figure in the Matter of France....
 in 778, during the battle of Roncevaux Pass
Battle of Roncevaux Pass

The Battle of Roncevaux Pass was a famous battle in 778 in which Roland, prefect of the Brittany Marches and commander of the rear guard of Charlemagne's army, was defeated by the Basque people....
, when Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
's rear guard was destroyed by Basque
Basque people

The Basques are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France.The name Basque derives from the ancient tribe of the Vascones, described by Ancient Greece historian Strabo as living south of the western Pyrenees and north of the Ebro River, in modern day Navarre and northern Aragon....
 tribe
Tribe

A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups ....
s.

The small collegiate church
Collegiate church

In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canon ; a non-monastic, or secular clergy community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a Dean or Provost ....
 contains several curious relic
Relic

A relic is an object or a personal item of Religion significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other religions....
s associated with Roland.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Roncesvalles'
Start a new discussion about 'Roncesvalles'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Roncesvalles Church
Roncesvalles ( ) is a small village and municipality
Municipality

A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
 of northern Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 (Navarrese Towns
List of municipalities in Navarre

This is a list of the municipalities in the provinces of Spain and autonomous community of Navarre, Spain.r>'NamePop.'...
), in the province
Provinces of Spain

In addition to its Autonomous Communities, Spain is divided into fifty provinces.Formerly of greater importance, since the arrival of the Autonomous communities of Spain the provinces have had fewer powers....
 of Navarre
Navarre

Navarre is a region in northern Spain, constituting one of its autonomous communities in Spain - the "Foral Community of Navarre" ....
. It is situated on the small river Urrobi at an altitude of 900 meters (2,950 ft.) among the Pyrenees
Pyrenees

The Pyrenees are a mountain range in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. They separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe, and extend for about from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea ....
, and within five miles of the French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 frontier. Population in 2007 was 24.

Roncesvalles is famous in history and legend for the defeat of Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
 and the death of Roland
Roland

Roland is a character in medieval literature and Renaissance literature, the chief paladin of Charlemagne and a central figure in the Matter of France....
 in 778, during the battle of Roncevaux Pass
Battle of Roncevaux Pass

The Battle of Roncevaux Pass was a famous battle in 778 in which Roland, prefect of the Brittany Marches and commander of the rear guard of Charlemagne's army, was defeated by the Basque people....
, when Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
's rear guard was destroyed by Basque
Basque people

The Basques are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France.The name Basque derives from the ancient tribe of the Vascones, described by Ancient Greece historian Strabo as living south of the western Pyrenees and north of the Ebro River, in modern day Navarre and northern Aragon....
 tribe
Tribe

A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups ....
s.

The small collegiate church
Collegiate church

In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canon ; a non-monastic, or secular clergy community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a Dean or Provost ....
 contains several curious relic
Relic

A relic is an object or a personal item of Religion significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other religions....
s associated with Roland. The battle is said to have been fought in the picturesque valley known as Valcarlos, which is now occupied by a hamlet bearing the same name, and in the adjoining pass of Ibañeta (Roncevaux Pass
Roncevaux Pass

Roncevaux Pass is a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain.According to tradition, it is the site where Roland died during the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778....
). Both of these are traversed by the main road leading north from Roncesvalles to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a Communes of the Pyr?n?es-Atlantiques d?partement in the France D?partements of France of Pyr?n?es-Atlantiques....
, in the French Basque Country
Northern Basque Country

The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country constitutes the North-Eastern part of the Basque Country and the Western part of the France department of the Pyr?n?es-Atlantiques....
.

Since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
, this collegiate church has been a favorite resting place for Catholic
Catholic

Catholic is an adjective derived from the Greek language adjective , meaning "whole" or "complete". In the context of Christianity ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages....
 pilgrim
Pilgrim

A pilgrim is one who undertakes a pilgrimage, literally 'far afield'. This is traditionally a visit to a place of some religious or historic significance; often a considerable distance is traveled....
s along the Way of St. James
Way of St. James

The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the Twelve Apostles, James, son of Zebedee, are buried....
, since it is the first place to have a rest after crossing the French Pyrenees. Every year thousands of pilgrims begin their way to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the A Coru?a , it was the "European City of Culture" for the year 2000....
 at Roncesvalles.

External links