Note: Ponferrada is one of the pilgrimage sites on route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, home of the shrine dedicated to Saint James, the patron saint of Spain. The symbol of Saint James, the scalloped shell, became the normal badge representing pilgrims. Various pilgrimage routes in the autonomous communities of Aragon, Navarre, and Castilla y León correspond to old Roman roads built in the northern portion of the Iberian Peninsula. Historically called San Pedro, Ponferrada received its current name from a bridge constructed in 1082 over the Sil River. The name Ponferrada first appeared in 1124. The Virgin de la Encina was said to have appeared at Ponferrada in 1200. The Church of San Pedro and Hospital of San Lázaro are located in Ponferrada.
icon to view the hierarchy.
