World Heritage Site: Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain
Publication Year: 2021
Publication Type: Article
Publication Identifier: WHEB256D3A13B
Summary
Romanesque churches along the Camino Francés in the ancient kingdoms of León and Castilla predominantly align with the sunrise on Easter Sunday, likely determined through direct solar observation. While both regions share this orientation pattern, León exhibits a strong preference for the ecclesiastical equinox (March 21), unlike Castilla. This study analyzed 191 churches, comparing those along the Camino de Santiago to control samples in each kingdom, revealing distinct regional variations in astronomical alignment, particularly at notable sites like Santiago de Compostela and Sahagún.
Citation
Urrutia-Aparicio, M., González-García, A. C., & Belmonte, J. A. (2021). Ad orientem: Las iglesias románicas del Camino Francés en los reinos de Castilla y León bajo la perspectiva de la Astronomía Cultural. Arqueología de La Arquitectura, (18), e122. https://doi.org/10.3989/arq.arqt.2021.014
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