the tiny Abbey

One morning, a few km out of our resting place, we passed a small chapel with a sign out front inviting us in, and as there are few such directly on the Camino path in a rural spot, we went in. It is an unusual shape and we found it was originally a small 12^th century fort, turned into a parish church in the 13^th century. It was likely a Templar church, and there is now a house attached.

Some pilgrims saw it in 2010 where it lay empty and looted, and fell in love with the project. They were able to buy it and set about renovating it, turning the empty house attached into the neatest looking house, with a vegetable garden as precise and perfect as a mathematical painting.

One of their first discoveries was finding the old stone flooring under wooden boards, and a very old (12^th century?) painted backdrop to a stone altar, which would have hidden behind the stolen baroque addition, which is why the colours are still vibrant. A large painted wooden box was removed to reveal a stone burial one with painted sides, which historically would hold the remains of the founder. A couple of large candle sticks were found in an attic space, and the porch flooring was found to be small cobbles forming a pattern called the Flower of Life, an ancient pattern.

Crowd-funding and donations help bring cash and expertise, and the enthusiastic owner told us of their finds to date, and gave credit to the universities in the US and UK who were donating carbon dating work and research students. What was surprising that, although this little place is now on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list and is also registered as a Spanish Property of Cultural Interest, Spain itself is uninterested in helping fund its restoration. Just another old church is the verdict of a country awash with ancient works.

It is incredible to stand in this tiny place, with its single nave, and secrets in its depths, and imagine what it must have seen during its time: invasions, warring religions, Charlemagne, Spanish Inquisition, Napoleon, Franco, Civil War, and 1960s decoration.

The parish church is known as the Church of St. Lucy (Santa Lucia), but collectively the buildings are listed as The Abbey of Eskirotz and Ilarratz (La Abadia de Eskirotz y Ilarratz). If you have any spare time, a particular skill set, knowledge specialization, or any financial / material resources with which to help, consider this a welcome spot to send them. It’s an absolutely beautiful area, and they have created a lawn and garden along the river that is so peaceful. “So many historical buildings on the Camino have been allowed to go to ruin - our hope is that by saving this one we'll be able to create a ‘home from home’ for fellow pilgrims travelling on the Camino de Santiago.”