Puente la Reina
Gares
Camino Francés · Camino Aragonés
NavarraNavarra
Here Camino Francés and Camino Aragonés converge. It is one of the points where the pilgrim shares the way with those arriving by another route.
'Queen's Bridge', referring to the 11th-century Romanesque bridge commissioned by one of the queens of Navarre —traditionally attributed to Doña Mayor of Castile, wife of Sancho III, or to Doña Estefanía, wife of García Sánchez III—. The coexisting Basque name Gares is of disputed etymology.
Evolution of the name
- Pontem Reginae medieval Latin 11th — 12th century
- Puente la Reina Castilian from the 13th century
- Gares Basque (coexistente)
Reflections, to the letter
As you cross the bridge over the Arga, notice its six Romanesque arches —ojos, “eyes” of the bridge, from the Latin oculus, “opening”, which you saw at Hospital de Órbigo—. This 11th-century bridge gave its name to the town. Puente comes from the Latin pons, pontis — root also of pontiff, literally “the one who makes bridges”, the original title of Roman priests in charge of the Pons Sublicius over the Tiber. Reina is from the Latin regina (feminine of rex, regis): the same root as regent, regal, regulus. The specific queen is disputed: Doña Mayor of Castile (wife of Sancho III) or Doña Estefanía (wife of García Sánchez III), both 11th-century. Here, on this bridge, the French and Aragonese Caminos merge into a single route to Santiago. The coexisting Basque name Gares is of disputed etymology.
Glossary
- Anthroponym
- A personal name, often used as the base of toponyms (Lucronius → Logroño, Sigerici → Castrojeriz).
- Etymology
- The origin and history of a word and the phonetic and semantic changes it has undergone. An etymology may be confirmed, probable or disputed depending on documentary attestations and linguistic parallels.
- Onomatologist
- A specialist in onomastics, the linguistic discipline that studies proper names — of persons (anthroponyms), places (toponyms) and institutions.
Sources
- Lacarra, J.M. — Historia política del reino de Navarra (Pamplona: Caja de Ahorros de Navarra, 1972)
- Caro Baroja, J. — Materiales para una historia de la lengua vasca
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Camino Francés