Basilica of Our Lady of the Oak

Basilica de La Encina

The Basilica de La Encina is a church located in Ponferrada, in the El Bierzo region, Leon Province, in the autonomous community of Castilla y Leon, on the Camino de Santiago Frances.

History of the Basilica de la Virgen de la Encina

The old medieval church of Santa Maria, built in the late 12th century, had five altars dedicated to Santa Maria (the main one), San Pedro, Santa Catalina, Santo Domingo and Santiago. Even so, the church was heavily criticized for its size, construction and decoration, which were considered inadequate. In response to this criticism, in 1567 the provisor of the Bishopric of Astorga authorized the town to build a new church, and shortly after ordered its construction.

Work began in 1573 but was not completed until the late 17th century due to various setbacks, including the plague that ravaged the Iberian Peninsula in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. In addition, changes were made to the church’s design and specifications along the way.

Stylistically, the church shows the influence of Trasmerano models, though with modifications. It can be described as a blend of Renaissance-influenced late Gothic, Trasmerano Classicism (16th-17th centuries) and even Galician Baroque (18th century). Construction of the church proceeded in several phases:

• 1573-1593: The main chapel and the transept were built.
• 1593-1612: A lack of funding caused construction problems.
• 1612-1648: Pedro Alvarez de la Torre drew up new plans, completed the transept and set the guidelines for the tower, but a lack of funds prevented its construction; only the foundations were laid.
• 1648-1670: Juan Bautista de Velasco resumed the work and changed the Latin-cross floor plan to a three-nave layout. Lucas de Ligar later continued construction, following plans similar to those of Alvarez de la Torre while disregarding Bautista’s.
• Baroque period: Although considered finished, the church underwent further changes. Lightning destroyed the spire of the tower, so its upper section was rebuilt in Baroque style, contrasting with the Renaissance-style lower section.

The church houses the image of Our Lady of the Oak, patroness of El Bierzo.

Becoming a Collegiate Church

The desire to celebrate divine worship with the same solemnity as in cathedrals led to the creation of collegiate churches in cities or towns that were not episcopal seats. These collegiate churches had chapters of canons who lived in community and followed a rule.

Although establishing a collegiate church fell under the authority of the relevant bishop, in practice only the Pope had the power to convert a church into a collegiate church. Certain requirements had to be met, both regarding the type of church and its geographic, demographic and economic context — requirements that Ponferrada and El Bierzo fulfilled.

The occasion to request collegiate status arose with the miraculous healing of Maria Manuela de Mendoza in November 1706, who later relapsed and was healed again in July 1707.

To support the request for collegiate status, the story of the discovery of Our Lady of the Oak was presented, along with the history of the town of Ponferrada’s development. The petition highlighted the number of prebendaries, canons, chaplains, musicians and other ministers, the town’s devotion (evidenced by the packed Mass ordered by the King following the miraculous healing of Maria Manuela), and the devotion of the priests of Ponferrada’s various churches and convents, who, according to the report, celebrated more Masses at its altar than at Spain’s largest cathedral. The quality of the church’s construction and the adornments of the image of Our Lady of the Oak were also described.

Despite all these efforts, the request for collegiate status was denied, citing the loss of the report submitted on May 6, 1720, due to the war. A subsequent petition submitted on October 21, 1725, was also rejected, citing the lack of consent from the town of Ponferrada, the bishop and the chapter for the annexation of their parishes to the new collegiate church. This request was again denied on June 12, 1731, by the prosecutor.

Basilica de la Virgen de la Encina

Camino de Santiago Frances >> Leon Province >> Ponferrada >> Basilica of Our Lady of the Oak