Stage 18: Calzadilla de los Hermanillos – Mansilla de las Mulas Distance: 24km

Alternative Route

From El Burgo Ranero the route runs parallel to the main road.
 
Cross the road on the other side of the village and carry straight on for roughly 10km until you come to a cross roads.
 
Cross over passing a few bodegas and carry on to Reliegos
 

Reliegos

Head out of the village and onto the path which takes you straight to Mansilla de las Mulas. Enter the town through the medaeival Puerta Castillo in the Calle Santa María into the Plaza del Pozo.
 

Recommended Route

From Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, the route is really just a striaght one all the way to Mansilla de las Mulas along the Calzada de los Peregrinos.
 
Head out of Calzadilla onto a meseta, after a few kilmetres you’ll cross over the arroyo Solano, the path heads towards a railway track.
 
Continue on to the bridge over the arroyo Valle de Santa María. The path now leads to a cross roads where you have the option of heading into Reliegos or carrying straight on through the Arco de Santa María and into the walled centre of Mansilla de las Mulas
 

Mansilla de las Mulas

It is here in Mansilla de las Mula that two camino routes join up, the Camino Francés and the Calzada de los Peregrinos.
 
The Romans built the wall around the town as protection. Since then the town has been ruled the Gothics, the Moors and then by the Spanish. Fernando II, King of León, gave it town status in the 12th century. At this time the town was the largest market town in the area.
 
The town name is taken from Mano de Silla, ‘hand on the saddle‘, which is also on the town’s coat of arms. The ‘de las mulas’, ‘of the mules’ was derived from the town’s livestock markets.
 
Mansilla de las Mulas was a very important pilgrim stop in old times and once boasted 3 pilgrim hospitals, 5 churches and many inns and hostels.
 
The 18th century Iglesia de Santa María with it’s Baroque altar and paintings is the towns oldest church.
 
There is also the Iglesia de San Martín with some of it’s original Mudéjar style roof intact. The church has been converted into a civic center.
 
Also worth a visit is the only surviving town gate, Arco de la Concepción.
 
Tourist Information, Calle los Mesones 16. Tel: (0034) 987 31 01 38