SAINT JACQUES AND THE WAY.to NAVARRE.

It is believed that St Jacques appeared in a dream with Charlemagne and told him where his tomb was. Supposedly the St Jacques tomb was discovered at the beginning of IXe century. It was ‘Translatio’, a miraculous transfer of his body had taken place, since it had never been there.

In the Middle Ages, Galicia was Terrae Fines, where the world finished. In the South, the infidel buckwheats remained. The Kingdom of Asturies needed to be reinforced ideologically; the not very flourishing economy needed a new commercial dash, thus one needed an important and sure road. For various religious, political and socio-economic reasons, the main road of Christian pilgrimage was created.

In Navarre, several roads which followed old Roman ways existed: Somport - Sangüesa, Baztan - Belate, Sakana, Zuberoa - Roncal, Izura/Ostabat - Orreaga/Roncevaux...

In XIIe century Sanche le Fort decided to concentrate on one road in order to reinforce the socio-economic aspects and many small cities, which appeared along the way, with special laws to privilege the investments of foreign capital. Various boroughs of franks also emerged, with important Jewish sectors. This road was called The French. Created from the junction of the principal ramifications in Ostabat, into Low Navarre, it passed by Ibañeta, Pampelune, Lizarra/Estella and finally Viana. In Garès/Puente Reina came the road from Aragon.

The BAZTAN AND the WAY

Baztan is articulated around the river of the same name and the road which goes from Pampelune to Bayonne. The path which passed by Belate and Baztan, used since antiquity, played an essential part for Navarre during centuries since Bayonne was with Pasaia/Pasajes the principal access to the sea. The ways of transhumance and commerce were those which the pilgrims borrowed. The revitalisation of the pilgrimage with Compostelle in the Sixties concentrates on the ‘French’path, which went from Ostabat/Izura while passing by Roncevaux/ Orreaga, forgetting the secondary ways, not deprived of history for as much.

The religious inns and establishments which border this way, Uztaritze, Zuraide, Urdazubi/Urdax, Urrasun, San Blas d' Arizkun,Elizondo, Aniz, San Blas d' Almandoz, Belate or Arre testify to this tradition of pilgrimage and reception of the visitor. The recovery of Baztan as way of pilgrimage is consolidated day after day. It is well marked out and offers much more adapted lodging, which allows us to know our ways around and our ground, the rural world by, without rushing themselves and especially without the gasoline emanations filtered through the pane. 100 km separate these two beautiful cities linked by their history of socio-economic bonds and by the same culture, the same people.