The Cruz de Ferro (Ferro Cross) is one of the elements with the most history and symbolism on the Camino de Santiago, also known in Leonese as “Cruz de Fierro”, which means “Iron Cross”. Located on the Camino Francés, on the stage that runs from Foncebadón to Ponferrada, it lies between Foncebadón itself and Manjarín, and belongs to the municipality of Santa Colomba de Somoza (León). From here, there are 230 kilometers remaining to reach the city of Santiago de Compostela.
The Cruz de Ferro: the highest point of the Camino Francés
The Cruz de Ferro is located at the highest point of the Camino de Santiago Francés. In the Montes de León, we find it at the Puerto de Foncebadón, also called Monte de Rabanal, which at 1,504 meters above sea level is the highest summit on this route from Roncesvalles, although if starting from the Somport Pass, 1,600 meters above sea level would be reached.
Montes de León Mountains
This area is also known as Monte Irago, an ancient toponym already mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus (12th century). It is a very special place and a milestone of the Camino de Santiago, as it separates the great northern plateau from the hills of El Bierzo and the subsequent entrance into Galicia, with a change of landscape that encourages pilgrims to continue.
History of the Cruz de Ferro and its origin
It is a wayside cross, that is, an iron cross crowning a five-meter-high wooden pole, at whose base there is a humilladero; a mound of stones that may date back to ancient times. Being located in a high place, some theories suggest that it served as a landmark for orientation since Roman times, in an area where snowfall makes visibility and travel difficult. It is even believed that there may have been a temple here dedicated to the god Mercury, protector of travelers.
Over time, and as often happens throughout history, the site was Christianized as the French route of the Camino de Santiago gained importance during the Middle Ages, alongside the advance of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The placement of the Cruz de Ferro as well as the construction of a hospital for pilgrims is attributed to the monk Gaucelmo: an 11th-century hermit with a strong vocation for hospitality whose only aim was to guide and assist pilgrims.
Cruz de Ferro
As for the humilladero, there are various theories about its meaning. Humilladeros are the result of a symbolic human act, and examples can be found in many cultures. It could refer to an offering made by the traveler and/or pilgrim, materialized in a stone or pebble, as a sign of gratitude and remembrance of their passage. It could also represent a request for divine protection, or a release from problems and even sins.
Not only pilgrims, but also Galician farmers who, between the 18th and 19th centuries, traveled to Castile for harvest work, would deposit a stone when passing by the Cruz de Ferro. The geographical dictionary of Pascual Madoz, from the mid-19th century, already stated regarding the act of throwing stones that “it is rare for a traveler to pass without throwing one.”
The tradition of the stone at the Cruz de Ferro
Be that as it may, many, if not all, pilgrims continue the tradition of placing a stone on the humilladero, with that of the Cruz de Ferro being one of the largest in Europe and the most important on the Camino de Santiago. Some do it facing forward, others with their backs turned, and many even bring the stone from kilometers away. In fact, in the past, pilgrims carried stones to help transport materials used for the construction of hospitals, bridges, churches, and even the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela itself.
The cross we see today is not the original. The original is preserved a few kilometers earlier, in the Museo de los Caminos in Astorga, where it was taken in 1976. Later, in the 1980s, a chapel dedicated to Saint James and a fountain were built nearby.
Museum of the Caminos of Astorga
The recent controversy at the Cruz de Ferro
In recent years, a controversial landscaping intervention in the area promoted by the Santa Colomba de Somoza Town Council was rejected by the pilgrim community, which expressed total disagreement with the project. Fortunately, it did not go ahead, as the Territorial Commission of Cultural Heritage of León did not approve it. As the protest slogan states, “the Cruz de Ferro must not be touched.”
Thus, fortunately, our Cruz de Ferro continues and will continue to stand, guiding our steps, and it will be there waiting for every pilgrim to visit and enjoy its meaning and its views. And you, what are you waiting for to discover it? You can walk the entire Camino de Santiago Francés or just a section, for example from León, and you will experience firsthand the magic of the Cruz de Ferro. As always, we are here to help and advise you on your pilgrim adventure.
Leave A Comment