Rabé de las Calzadas

The camino has now entered the central Meseta, and the landscape here has had a lasting effect on the character of the people, but its lack of naturally durable building materials has meant the opposite for the architecture. Many of the treasures that once stood here are all but lost, the oldest remaining building is the 17th century palace house and village church.

The broad expanses here have a certain effect on the pilgrim psyche and to skip over it is to miss out on an important stage of the journey. Do not expect to see many of the places along the way until the last moment, they are often built into the shallow valleys where shade and water collects.