The ways of the Lord are as unpredictable as the many pilgrimage routes that, from the four cardinal points of Spain, lead toward Santiago de Compostela.
Today, we shall explore an intriguing village in Soria—situated along what is known as the Aragonese Way—which holds such a rich tapestry of history, legend, and tradition that a visit here becomes a truly profound adventure: Peroniel del Campo.
At first glance, one might mistake Peroniel for just another village scattered across Old Castile—a place whose solitary resilience seems defined by an overwhelming silence. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth.
As you delve deeper, you begin to uncover traces of an ancient and little-known history, centered around a true 12th-century gem: its Romanesque church.
This church appears linked to the mysterious, lingering shadow of the Knights Templar. It is said that in the vicinity of the village, they also maintained the enigmatic convent of San Juan de Otero. Within the church’s nave—on the very floor where the faithful still sit to attend Sunday Mass—one stands atop a burial ground. Marked only by simple numbers, this site served until relatively recent times as a place where the deceased were interred in an upright, vertical position.
The church also features—among its typical Romanesque decorative motifs—several elaborate crosses pattée, identical to those the Templars wore upon the chests of their habits. It stands just a few meters from the ruins of an ancient fortress—a site where the knights may well have stood guard, for we must remember that, in those days, these lands lay along the Duero frontier, a critical dividing line between territories. Located just two kilometers from Almenar—a town with which a "Twinning" festival, dating back to the Middle Ages, is still celebrated every May—lies a place steeped in history. The festival is marked by the display of grand, period-style banners, and it was in the local castle that Leonor, the first wife of the poet Antonio Machado, was born.
Peroniel, meanwhile, is home to a famous figure from one of the most significant medieval legends of the region: the legend of the captive of Peroniel.
The story tells of a Christian captive held prisoner by a Muslim man inside a large chest filled with chains. He was reportedly set free through the intercession of the Virgin of the Llana. In her sanctuary, located on the outskirts of Almenar, one can still find the original chains and the famous chest; pilgrims traveling along this enigmatic route often collect small splinters from the chest’s weathered wood, carrying them as amulets for protection.
Furthermore, in the vicinity of Peroniel lie the ruins of an ancient settlement called Ándaba—a site that harkens back to early, little-known medieval settlements, of which almost no traces remain today.
In short, there are many paths to choose from, and on any of them, travelers and pilgrims alike are sure to find everything they need for an unforgettable adventure.
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