The Puerta del Perdón: Spain’s Most Intriguing Door

The History of Villafranca del Bierzo

Villafranca del Bierzo has some historical significance in conjunction with the message of the Puerta del Perdón (“Portal of Pardon”). It is most well-known for housing specific monuments along the Camino de Santiago. The Vía Francigena (the “French Way”) has linked the city of Santiago de Compostela to the rest of Europe since the second half of the eleventh century and it is assumed that Villafranca del Bierzo is one of the many towns that developed as a result of this pilgrimage route.¹

The origins of Villafranca have been related to the establishment of a community of Benedictine monks, sent directly from Cluny during the time of King Alfonso VI (1065-1109). The town actually existed at least since the tenth century and was called Burbia as the settlement itself is located at a confluence of the Burbia and Valcarce rivers at the foot of the Cebreiro mountain range that leads to Galicia.²

Throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Europeans (largely coming from France) began to move to Villafranca and already by the middle of the twelfth century, a cosmopolitan town had emerged with a bustling market, a bridge built over the river Burbia, a group of burghers (medieval higher-ranking class akin to the bourgeoisie), and three stone churches, giving rise to the attraction of the town itself. These churches were the parish of San Nicolás, Santa María de Cluny, and the Church of Santiago which houses the Puerta del Perdón.³

The rise of Villafranca mirrors the period of development of Romanesque art, and the Church of Santiago is an example of this in León and Bierzo.⁴ The Church of Santiago was built between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and it is believed that at some point after its construction, Pope Calixtus III (pope 1455-58), granted the divine privilege and power of the Puerta del Perdón that would mark the “Villafranquino temple.”⁵

The Puerta del Perdón

The Puerta del Perdón lies on the northern side of the Church of Santiago. Interestingly, the portal was closed for around a century between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but was then reopened in 1948 when the wall that blocked it was torn down and restored.⁶ According to tradition, during a Holy Year, pilgrims can still gain plenary indulgence in the temple if after having traveled between 100 and 150 kilometers, they cannot reach the Cathedral of Santiago due to sickness, or are suffering a physical disability or accident that occurred in the course of their walk. Once they have presented the corresponding medical certificate, received confession, communion and prayed for the Pope’s intentions, the Holy Door will be opened exclusively for them. In 2004, the last Holy Year, only four people who had suffered a minor accident crossed through the portal, while in 1999, six pilgrims gained plenary indulgence there. Initially, the Compostela Holy Year began in the year 1122, with Pope Calixtus II. The Jacobean Holy Year occurs when July 25 falls on a Sunday and the feast of the Apostle James takes place. Since then, there have been 119 jubilee celebrations.⁷

What is a Holy Door?

Holy doors are specialized doors or portals in Catholic Churches and are found around the world. Their purpose is to grant those who pass through plenary indulgence. In the Catholic belief system, when a person dies their soul can enter an intermediate realm, a state of suffering, one not existing in our world with living people, yet also one that is not death. This is purgatory, where the souls of sinners can be purged or purified in order to grant access to heaven. Heaven is the ultimate goal of existence in the Catholic belief system. It is what drives all aspects of the religion. It is why pilgrims walk thousands of miles. It is why people pray and revere and love God and saints and Christ. It is the ultimate destination that transcends all. Thus, holy doors are quite important as passing through them enables people some semblance of control to ensure their own salvation. Moving through holy doors absolves pilgrims of all their sins – a perpetual challenge for devotees of Catholicism.⁸

Why is the Portal Here?

The fact that the Puerta del Perdón lies on the Camino de Santiago seems to be a large signifier of why the portal exists. The Camino de Santiago is not an easy journey – pilgrims walked (and still do to this day) for months across the varied terrain of Western Europe in order to reach the final destination site of the Cathedral of Saint James, Santiago de Compostela. In the medieval era, completing the Camino de Santiago, “was something almost epic.” Dying on the way was not unusual.⁹

Villafranca del Bierzo lies in a particularly notable section of the route to Compostela as it sits right before the steepest and most challenging stretches of walking.¹⁰ This arduous terrain directly outside Villafranca del Bierzo provides more insight and evidence for the need for the Puerta del Perdón. Too many medieval pilgrims must have been unable to continue their journey at this intense section and thus the practice to end their journey at this portal offered a graceful exit in response to the geography of the route.

A Closer Look at the Portal’s Sculpture

The Church of Saint James itself and the sculptural program of the Puerta del Perdón provides further explanation for the presence of such a portal on this complicated pilgrimage route. The Church of Santiago is largely modest, containing minimal decoration outside of the magnificent portal housed on its northern side.¹¹

The doors of the Puerta del Perdón itself open out to the Camino. Pilgrims can view the intricate sculpture of the portal’s capitals as they walk and internalize the biblical images in front of them. The Puerta del Perdón is composed of four slightly pointed arches, or archivolts, that rest on columns capped by vegetally and figurally decorated capitals.¹²

The external archivolt of the portal contains depictions of the twelve apostles following the line of the arch (a few with faces knocked off), carved into several voussoirs (possibly due to lack of blocks of sufficient size and quality at the time).¹³

Figs. 9-12. The twelve apostles on the portal’s external archivolt

At the pinnacle of this archivolt, Christ is seated with his right hand raised in prayer (Fig. 13). The archivolt below is filled only with organic and vegetal motifs that correspond to the same style as the rest of non-figural sculpture throughout the building. The final two archivolts below are bare with no sculptural decoration.

Moving to the capitals below, the sculpture presented on the capitals of the entire right side of the portal are purely vegetation and organic motifs. The capitals on the left, however, are primarily figural and depict the biblical narrative cycle of the Magi, some of the most frequently represented scenes in Romanesque art.

The Figural Capitals

The scene begins on the left internal archivolt with a depiction of the arrival of the three Magi before Herod, already providing a point of interest as the beginning of the narrative most frequently shows the announcement of the Magi first. The scene is organized by arches that rest on columns which frame and separate the different figures. The largest space is occupied by Mary holding baby Christ on her knee, a depiction of the Adoration of the Magi.

The next capital image depicts the three Magi in bed with an angel pointing to a star above them, the Dream of the Magi, and the angel showing them the safe way home from Herod.

Following the Dream of the Magi, the Magi’s return home is depicted with the three prototypical pilgrims traveling on horseback (Fig. 18), a scene that is not often presented in the cycle of the Magi. Much more common iconographically is an image of the Magi journeying to Christ.¹⁴ The former would resonate in particular for pilgrims who received a plenary indulgence and turned back at Villafranca. For all, the scenes of the Magi would remind them of the biblical origins of their journey.

The last figural capital on the portal depicts the Crucifixion with dead Christ at the center, nailed to a cross (Fig. 19). Four figures surround him, the three Maries on Christ’s right and John on his left. The presence of the Crucifixion in this depiction of the Journey of the Magi is compelling as the two are part of the same message. The Crucifixion is typically considered an image with complex meaning since it constitutes the embodiment of the sacrifice of the redeemer and therefore an emblem and guarantee of Christian Salvation.¹⁵ The presence of the Crucifixion alongside the Journey of the Magi reinforces the pilgrim-specific salvific message of the Puerta del Perdón.

The last capital contains a double layer of arches, creating an architectural scene similar to that in the first described capital. Some scholars have thought this to be a representation of Jerusalem.¹⁶
 
This site of the Church of Saint James in Villafranca mimics the end destination site of Compostela as both structures are dedicated to Saint James. The sculpture on the capitals depicts the Journey of the Magi, the first prototypical pilgrims and the characters that drive the narrative on this portal, foregrounding their significance. This validates and supports the notion of pilgrimage itself, while the inclusion of the Crucifixion at the end of the narrative sequence demonstrates the power of the portal. The Magi sculpture validates the importance of the act of pilgrimage and the inclusion of the Crucifixion reminds travelers of Christ’s generosity and sacrifice, further linking the significance of the portal to the difficulty of going on pilgrimage as well as the beneficence of the Church in granting pilgrims the opportunity to travel and connect with divine miracles.

Intrigue/Confusion Surrounding the Puerta del Perdón

Typically pilgrimages place heavy emphasis on the idea of traveling a great distance, experiencing pain and suffering in order to demonstrate devotion to a specific divine presence. Along the Camino de Santiago, pilgrims venture to the tomb of Saint James the Apostle at the Cathedral of Compostela. The goal of the end site on pilgrimage is, on the whole, what motivates pilgrims to continue. The end destination’s promise of miracles and closeness to the divine makes the arduous journey worth it, while simultaneously spurring the journey itself. The unusual offer of plenary indulgences and an end destination at the Church of Saint James before encountering the apostle’s divine tomb at Compostela, generates some speculation and conjecture around this particular site in Villafranca.

The Puerta del Perdón is a particularly intriguing site largely due to its seemingly less than enthusiastic perception by the public. There is very little scholarship or even just general information on the portal or the church that houses it. This was somewhat unexpected when I initially undertook this project as the pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago has a reputation of being so popular and well traveled throughout history and is continuing to grow in popularity to this very day. I continuously catch myself, surprised at the relative lack of information or even just representation of the portal. It seems like it would be an important site as so many people pass by and witness the church’s potential for pardon to those who are sick, injured, dying, a specialized and exclusive act only pertaining to specific sites. As mentioned earlier, it was closed for roughly a century,¹⁷ which makes me wonder how important it really is to pilgrims or at least to modern pilgrims. Perhaps it was more useful during the Middle Ages?

I also have been finding it quite interesting how people seem to think or write about this site. Within the few articles (only in Spanish) that I could find that discuss anything related to the portal, they describe it as merely a “charming ensemble” or that it contains “attractive decorations.”¹⁸ This is not what I would expect given the portal’s divine power. A few tourist guides to Bierzo and Villafranca do not even mention the portal as a site of attraction. Further, they discuss the harmony and quality of capitals and archivolts as they stand out in the “Leonese Romanesque” but they do not talk about any of the sculptural significance.¹⁹ It also seems that all the other churches in the town are more popular (in searching Villafranca del Bierzo for images of information, the Church of Santiago is by far the least shown) which is a surprise because it seems like, again, the portal should receive more attention given the power it contains.²⁰

And now to even further push this convoluted atmosphere that surrounds the Puerta del Perdón, it is also described to be an “ideal complement for the historic capital of Bierzo, at the same time a huge reference for pilgrims” which leads me to think that people do see the portal has containing a high level of significance.²¹ I even found this image that labels Villafranca as the “ancient hospital route.”

Given this, there is some importance being tied to Villafranca, seemingly because of the portal’s divine ability to pardon pilgrims yet there are very few accessible indications to support this idea. What gives this site its divine power of pardoning if very few are aware of its awe provoking capacities?

Bibliography

Ayuntamiento de Villafranca del Bierzo, Página oficial. “Historia.” Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.villafrancadelbierzo.org/tourism-historia.php.  

Fernández Rodriguez, Begoña. “La Puerta del Perdón de la iglesia de Santiago de Villafranca del Bierzouna aproximación al ciclo de los Reyes Magos.” In Estudios sobre patrimonio artístico: homenaje del departamento de Historia del Arte y de la Facultad de Geografía e Historia de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, edited by Maria Dolores Barral Rivadulla and José Manuel López Vázquez, 119-40. Santiago de Compostela: Xunta de Galicia, 2002.

González, Jaime Nuño, and José Manuel Rodríguez Montañés. “Villafranca del Bierzo.” In Enciclopedia del románico en Castilla y León: León, edited by José María Pérez González, Miguel Ángel García Guinea and José Manuel Rodríguez Montañés, 403-22. Aguilar de Campoo: Fundación Santa María La Real, Centro de Estudios del Románico, 2002. románico digital. Accessed April 11, 2024. https://www.romanicodigital.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/files/leon_VILLAFRANCA_DEL_BIERZO.pdf.

Ramis, Sergi. Camino de Santiago: The ancient Way of Saint James pilgrimage route from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, translated by Peter Barraclough. London: Aurum Press, 2017.

Redacción EF. “Qué ver en Villafranca del Bierzo.” España Facienante. Accessed May 2, 2024. https://espanafascinante.com/lugares/que-ver-en-villafranca-del-bierzo/.  

Retuerta, Javier. “La Puerta del Perdón de Villafranca, un final del Camino en el Bierzo.” España Facienante. Accessed May 2, 2024. https://espanafascinante.com/aire-libre/puerta-perdon-villafranca-final-camino-enfermos-bierzo/.

Retuerta, Javier. “Qué ver en Fabero del Bierzo.” España Facienante. Accessed May 2, 2024. https://espanafascinante.com/lugares/que-ver-en-fabero-del-bierzo/.

Smina, Nicole. “Puerta del Perdón.” Waypoints: Mapping the Camino de Santiago. Accessed April 11, 2024. https://waypoints.ace.fordham.edu/items/show/122.

Weich, Caitlin. “Holy Doors Around the World.” Follow the Camino. Last modified November 5, 2021. https://followthecamino.com/en/blog/holy-doors-around-the-world/.

Image Credits

Header Image. Portada del Perdón, Church of Santiago, Villafranca del Bierzo. Photograph by José Luis Filpo Cabana, October 2014. Source: Creative Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iglesia_de_Santiago_(Villafranca_del_Bierzo)._Portada.jpg. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 Attribution 3.0 Unported Deed.

Fig. 1. View of Villafranca del Bierzo. Photograph by Joergsam, December 14, 2011. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VillafrancaDelBierzoAnsicht.jpg. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported Deed.

Fig. 2. Eastern side of the Church of Santiago, Villafranca del Bierzo, Photograph © E. Lastra.

Fig. 3. The Puerta del Perdón, north portal of the Church of Santiago. Photograph © E. Lastra.

Fig. 4. Contemporary pilgrims walking by the Church of Santiago. Photograph by Cruccone, May 19, 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villafranca_del_Bierzo_iglesia_Santiago.jpg. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 ES Deed.

Fig. 5. Overhead view of Villafranca del Bierzo. Photograph by user: “Random username 083794703875938”. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villafranca_del_Bierzo_imgn01.jpg. Licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal Deed.

Fig. 6. The Cebreiro Pass outside Villafranca del Bierzo. Photograph © E. Lastra.

Fig. 7. Window with billet-molding on the Church of Santiago. Photograph by GFreihalter, June 11, 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villafranca_del_Bierzo_Santiago_334.JPG. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported Deed.

Fig. 8. A closer look at the Puerta del Perdón. Photograph by José Antonio Gil Martínez from Vigo, Spain, June 21, 2008. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iglesia_de_Santiago_de_Villafranca_del_Bierzo_(2867543107).jpg. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 Deed.

Fig. 9. The apostles on the portal’s external archivolt. Photograph by GFreihalter, June 11, 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villafranca_del_Bierzo_Santiago_328.JPG. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported Deed.

Fig. 10. The apostles on the portal’s external archivolt. Photograph by GFreihalter, June 11, 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villafranca_del_Bierzo_Santiago_333.JPG. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported Deed.

Fig. 11. The apostles on the portal’s external archivolt. Photograph by amaianos from Galicia, April 1, 2010. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detalle_de_la_Puerta_del_Perd%C3%B3n_(4547825766).jpg. Cropped image licensed under CC BY 2.0 Deed.

Fig. 12. The apostles on the portal’s external archivolt. Photograph by GFreihalter, June 11, 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villafranca_del_Bierzo_Santiago_331.JPG. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported Deed.

Fig. 13. Christ Seated at the pinnacle of the portal. Photograph by GFreihalter, June 11, 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Villafranca del Bierzo Santiago 326 , Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported Deed.

Fig. 14. The Figural Capitals at the Puerta del Perdón. Photograph by José Antonio Gil Martínez from Vigo, Spain, June 21, 2008. Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iglesia_de_Santiago_de_Villafranca_del_Bierzo_(2867544201).jpg. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 Deed.

Fig. 15-19. Details of the figural capitals at the Puerta del Perdón. Photograph © E. Lastra.

Fig. 20. Villafranca del Bierzo the “ancient hospital route”. Photograph by Fernando Losada Rodríguez, November 7, 2020, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:R%C3%BAa_Villafranca_del_Bierzo.001_-_Ribadeo.jpg. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed.

The Author

As an admirer of history, Sydney Straw is magnetized by the notion of pilgrimage because this centuries-old human practice can be accessed through visual art in a multitude of forms. Sydney is also an avid hiker. For her, walking is a central and contemplative act. She believes life to be a pilgrimage.