Arriving in Potes & Visiting the Monasterio de Santo Toribio

The Potes Tourist Information Center will give you a stamp and store your large backpack so you can attend the noon mass and visit the sacred site without the extra weight. They were also handing out free bracelets for the Jubilee Year of the Camino Lebaniego.

Potes Tourist Information Center | Find it here: Pl. la Serna | Hours: Daily, 9:30 – 19:00 

Make sure to take your credencial with you to the Monastery to obtain the official certificate of the way, the Leganiega.

Follow the way out of Potes to the Monasterio de Santo Toribio. The way has it’s own walkway that follows along the road and then moves to a pedestrian path. On a clear day, you’ll have incredible views of the Picos de Europa.

🥾 Potes – Monasterio de Santo Toribio | 1.75 Miles / 2.8 KM | + / – 45 Minutes

The Significance of Santo Toribio de Liébana

Santo Toribio Monastery is famous for holding one of the largest pieces of the “Lignum Crucis,” or a piece of the true cross that Jesus was crucified on. This is one of the most significant monasteries or Cathedrals on any Camino de Santiago route.

Supposedly the cross was found by St. Helena in Jerusalem in the fourth century. She ordered the cross to be split with one piece staying in Jerusalem, another bering sent to Roman, and another to Constantinople.

During the 5th century, the priest Turibius of Astorga traveled to Jerusalem where he was appointed a position at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the church where the Lignum Crucis was housed. He returned back to Spain with permission to take a piece of the cross with him. It stayed in Astorga until the eighth century where it was moved to monastery for safe keeping as the Muslim conquest moved north through Spain.

That most peculiar thing is that in a test was done on this piece of wood is over 2,000 years and is a indeed from native cyprus wood from Palestine.

Besides the visiting the small chapel where the Lignum Crucis is housed, it’s possible to visit the cloiser and outside the Puerta del Perdón (Door of Forgiveness).

Noon Mass at Monastery of Santo Toribio Liebana

It is free to attend the mass. At the end of mass the piece of Lignum Crucis is removed from it’s small alter and attendees are welcomed to come touch the cross or touch it with their rosary.

I hadn’t planned on attending mass but the man at the pilgrim center suggested it. I went in with little expectations as I am not religious but it was extremely moving. The pastor actually removed the piece of cross from its alter and people were allowed to touch it.

Many people were so emotional and it was as if I could tap into this raw feeling of humanity. It was a mixture of grief and love and sadness and joy. I don’t know if I will ever have the words to explain what I felt or experienced, but it was humbling and an honor to be witness to a deep shared human experience.