El Camino De Santiago: The Pilgrim's Gardens

EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO THE PILGRIM’S GARDENS

photo credit: Michael George Photography

ANASTASIA BETSCH DIRECTED RESEARCH PROJECT SPRING 2016 SARAH COWLES, ADVISOR THE KNOWLTON SCHOOL OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

ABSTRACT This project considers the French Way of the El Camino de Santiago. It aims to capture the ephemeral journey of the pilgrim and translate it into a series of choreographed landscape interventions to relate discrete camino experiences. Due to the vastness of the landscape and the enduring length of time, perception of space and time becomes fluid on the camino. The landscape interventions, or pilgrim gardens, are meant to flip spatio-temporal perceptions, centering the focus on the immediate and close rather than the horizon or destination. The spaces will punctuate the journey through a heightening of the senses, and call attention to the present by amplifying an existing condition. In an attempt to utilize the constant flow of people, this project considers pilgrims a site disturbance. Pilgrims are incorporated into the garden-making process - leaving, moving, taking, and weaving - to emphasize the ephemerality of the camino and individual experience of each pilgrim. Interventions act as a register upon which to read the subtly changing landscape, while also providing a space to reevaluate, relieve, and pause before continuing on the journey.

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photo credit: Michael George Photography

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A LONG WALK The Camino is not a specific place. Instead, it is an action: To walk. In her book, Wanderlust, The History of Walking, Solnit describes walking as, “The intentional act closest to the unwilled rhythms of the body, to breathing and the beating of the heart. It strikes a delicate balance between working and idling, being and doing. It is a bodily labor that produces nothing but thoughts, experiences, arrivals.” (Solnit, 5) It is these thoughts, experiences, and arrivals brought upon by repetitive motion that create the pilgrimage, not the destination. The action gives form and develops relationships between a collection of physical and abstract places. It is the ever-changing community of pilgrims with a single physical destination and an array of metaphysical destinations, who create the space, transforming roads, fields, bridges, private lands, dirt paths, and mountain trails into a cohesive spiritual journey.

On the Camino the landscape is always changing.

Your relationship to yourself and the rhythm of your body becomes your constant. Not only are you (the pilgrim) moving through time and space, and therefore, landscape, but the landscape is changing with the rise and fall of the sun, elevation, slope, wind patterns, temperature fluctuation, precipitation, season, and year.

As your surroundings change so do the other pilgrims.

Relationships are fleeting. They form and disappear as your pace ebbs and flows. People become yet another marker within the landscape, indications of interactions along the path. Worries, sins, and burdens are shed.

Thoughts, aspirations, and ailments pile up. The kilometers pass, measured only by the meditative rhythm of your gait. As you continue to move with the rhythm, time, space, and distance become inexplicably bound. The landscape begins to reflect your thoughts and feelings.

Unlike a highway, the camino is not simply a transitory vessel. Without pilgrims there is no camino, as it does not exist as a definite spatial element. Neither is it a single entity maintained by a governing body. It is a collection of paths woven together by a nomadic population of pilgrims and their mobile actions. An extensive support framework consisting of fonts, shelters, chapels, churches, albergues, and marked with yellow arrows, scallop shells, and rock piles sustains The Way as new pilgrims embark on their journeys to Santiago de Compostela. This combination of cues situates itself within the Western European landscape, transforming a collection of spaces into an experience.

The garden interventions are meant to evoke meaning in the landscape. They relate the pilgrims’ current state of being with a specific space, giving form to these thoughts and feelings, while allowing the physical and imaginary restructuring of space. When describing his project on the Swiss Way, George Descombes wrote, “I believe that both buildings and designed landscapes must not only make the passing of time visible but also make this passage effecting of further potential” (Descombes, p 80). Descombes landscape interventions changed hikers’ perceptions of time in relation to the landscape through the strategic framing of the landscape. The Pilgrim’s Gardens are meant to build upon Descombes work. They will frame both space and time, while also giving pilgrims the ability to take part in the physical transformation of the space and leave their mark.

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photo credit: Michael George Photography

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THE RUDERAL This project identifies both pilgrim and plant as ruderal.

Ecologically, ruderal refers to plant species that thrive in conditions of scarcity and disturbance, the first responders, the pioneers (Cowles, 16). This project adapts this notion of colonization under stress and change, and applies it to this ever-changing nomadic group of people.

Pilgrims have very little needs. Similar to ruderal plants, they thrive in harsh and varied conditions, appropriating space, tools, and resources as need be. On occasion pilgrims need shelter from sun or rain, dry ground or elevated space to rest, water, and sustenance, yet as they move, their needs move with them, negating a need for permanence. The Pilgrim’s Gardens site interventions will meet some of these fleeting needs for the pilgrims, while giving a sense of permanence to the impermanent environment and infrastructures created by and for pilgrims. A series of additive and subtractive forms act as an armature on which the ruderals (plants and people) will change, accentuating their ephemerality, and sparking new perceptions of change, time, and space through framing and linkages.

always to a human subject as the cause of such processes and ultimately the singular creator of the work of art,” (Nisbet, 142) but Morris questions how art can become the result of energy exchange beyond human control. Morris wants to situate “art as an energy driving to change perception…that articulates not only the object’s situation within an ecologically interconnected world of energy flow, but also the potential influence of this object as a vector of change within this system” (Nisbet, 145).

The implementation of ruderals across a series of differing locales and measured across time, utilizes environmental factors to act as the gardens’ disturbance or energy exchange.

Robert Morris described ‘Anti Form’ as work that acknowledges the inherent tendencies and properties of matter and allows the properties to express themselves rather than showing tracings of the artist’s hand. This is emphasized in his work Continuous Project: Altered Daily in which he rearranged objects within a room daily. The changing location and arrangement was controlled by the artist whether it be premeditated or not.

In this situation, the room acted as the frame, Morris as the disturbance, and objects as the ruderal. In her book, Ecologies, Environments, and Energy Systems in Art of the 1960s and 1970s, Nisbet wrote, “It is a notion of process that returns

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photo credit: Michael George Photography

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PRECEDENT | ruta del peregrino Ruta del Peregrino is a pilgrimage route extending 117 kilometers across Jalisco, Mexico. It is traveled every year by over two million pilgrims from all over Mexico as an act of devotion, faith and purification.

The pilgrims begin in the town of Ameca from where they walk through the mountain range of Jalisco to the town of Talpa de Allende to see the Rosario Virgin. The annual pilgrimage is usually walked during the Holy Week in mid-April. The pilgrims are of all ages and generally have a low to modest income.

Pilgrimages are an integral part of religion in Mexico.

This religious act of faith and devotion has been carried on for centuries across the country, and until recently has rarely been recognized or supported by the government. In an effort to improve travel conditions and enhance the experience of Ruta del Peregrino, the project curators invited an international team of architects to create a series of stations at key points along the route.

The stations are conceived as a series of symbolic architectural pieces that combine to become an integral narrative along the heart of the pilgrimage

route. The stations enhance the symbolic importance of the route and add a sense of permanence by providing basic services, such as shelter and look out points. They provide spaces of serenity, inspiration and introspection, assisting the pilgrims’ emotional journey. The new infrastructure is also beneficial to the local economy.

The Ruta del Peregrino was constructed with financial support from the Government of Jalisco, and the National Tourism Agency. It now provides shelter and a series of architectural monuments and sanctuaries in the landscape, symbolizing the devotion and perseverance of the pilgrims that use it.

This project was used as a precedent for The Pilgrim’s Gardens on the El Camino de Santiago.

Analyzation of the individual interventions, their purposes, relation to the path, and relation to the landscape helped me better understand strategies for choreographing a narrative along a long pathway.

CAPILA ABIERTA “LA GRATITUD”

AMECA

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MIRADOR CERRO DEL OBISPO

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ERMITA DE PIEDRA AUTO TRANSPORTATION

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ieces that ilgrimage e and add a and look out tion, assisting neficial to the

FOOT TRANSPORTATION ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTION

ALBERGUES (LA ESTANZUELA Y ATENGUILLO

TALPA DE ALLENDE MIRADOR ESPINAZO DEL DIABLO

ERMITA SAN RAFAEL

ERMITA LAS MAJADAS

MIRADOR LOS GUAYABOS

m the provides shelter ndscape, use it.

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CAPILA ABIERTA “LA GRATITUD”

ERMITA LAS MAJADAS

Situated at the beginning of the Ruta Del Peregrinos is a chapel to declare personal quests for the pilgrimage and a place of silence and peace. It is organized in the shape of a crucifix with tall white walls reaching up towards the blue skies.

As the first stop of day two, this sanctuary provides a shaded space, closed to the outside world to rest, have shelter, and pray. The concrete planes fold into eachother, creating an inward focus up to the sky within the forest.

2009 | Tatiana Bilbao | Dellekamp Arquitectos

2012 | Tatiana Bilbao

50’ 17’

LOW STONE WALLS DATUM AGAINST THE SLOPED EARTH

100’

WHITE CONCRETE SHELTERS GRAFITTI SPRAYED ON WALLS CONCRETE WALLS IN FORM OF CROSS

130’

40’

65’

DIRT GROUND PLANE WITH LOW RUDERAL VEGETATION GROWING DOWNWARD SLOPE INDICATES THE WAY TO FIND THE WALL OF PROMISES WHICH INVITES PILGRIMS TO LEAVE BEHIND SOME SYMBOLIC OBJECT, AN IMAGE, OR A REQUEST WALLED SPACE BECOMES AN EXPANSION OF PATH ADJACENT TO A VILLAGE

230’

10’

CENTRAL OPENING FOR VIEWS UP TO THE SKY SITUATED IN A CLEARING OF THE MEXICAN OAK AND FIR WOODS BEFORETHE PATH DESCENDS FOR 20 KM

10’

2 FOLDED CONCRETE WALLS RISING OUT OF THE EARTH

CONCRETE MIXED WITH RED DIRT TO BLEND INTO THE RED EARTH IT SITS UPON

20’

20’

MIRADOR CERRO DEL OBISPO

MIRADOR LOS GUAYABOS

2010 | Christ & Gantenbein

2010 | HHF architects

Like an obelisk, the Mirador Cero del Obispo marks the point of a magnificent view over the Valley of Ameca within the Mexican forest. Atop Bishop’s Hill at an altitude of 1,940 m, stands visible landmark in the sky. The column provides a place to inhabit, pause, and lean on to take in the view.

This lookout point inserts an additional loop into the pilgrimage path, elevating pilgrims up for a better view of the surrounding countryside. Hidden at the center is a private prayer room, marked with a cross shaped void in the brick cladding.

6 PREFABRICATED WHITE CONCRETE EXTRUSIONS STACKED TO GIVE THE 80’ STRUCTURE A HUMAN SCALE CENTER IS OCCUPIABLE THROUGH A SMALL DOOR FRAMING A VIEW STRAIGHT UP TO THE SKY LOCATED TO THE IMMEDIATE RIGHT OF THE PATH VENDOR TENTS SET UP AT THE LANDMARK

SURROUNDED BY ACACIA PENNATULA

MIC RA NO

PA

VIEW MARKER BEFORE PATH BEGINS TO SLOPE DOWNWARDS 20’

W

VIE

PANORAMIC VIEW

10’

STRUCTURED BY ASYMMETRICAL ARCHES GIVING A LIGHTNESS TO THE MASSIVE STRUCTURE. REPETITION OF ARCHES ALLOWS FOR REUSE OF FORMWORK TWO STAIRCASES CREATE A CONTINUOUS LOOP FROM THE PATH THROUGH THE VIEWPOINT AND BACK TO THE PATH 360 DEGREE VIEW OF SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS AND VALLEY FOM SECOND FLOOR AT CENTER IS A PRIVATE ROOM FOR PRAYER, SHELTER, AND REFLECTION 10’

20’

20’

ERMITA DE PIEDRA

MIRADOR ESPINAZO DEL DIABLO

2009 | FAKE Design

2010 | ELEMENTAL

The linear sanctuary inscribes the North/South direction into the earth. The monolithic stone pier is both submerged into the earth and elevated above, providing a place to stop and sit within the open or enclosure.

The monolithic concrete structure marks a lookout both to the panoramic view above the valley and the crosses on the other side of the path. It provides shade, hard ground, and cross ventilation. The cantilever collects rainwater during the rainy season, creating a reflecting pool in dim light.

VIEW STONE WALLS BLEND IN WITH THE EARTH

TO

CR

OS SES

55

’

LONG, CONTINUOUS BENCH INTERRUPTS THE PILGRIM PATH, REDIRECTING AND OBSTRUCTING THEIR STRIDE CONCRETE BOWL ENCLOSURE WHERE BUILT INTO THE LAND

’

25

360’

9’

PA N

OR AM

IC

PA

NO

RA M

IC

VIE

W

VIE

W

10’

SURROUNDED BY TREES A LEFT OF THE PATH SLOPED AREA TRANSFERRING PILGRIMS TO A DIFFERENT PLACE CANTILEVER HANGS OVER ONE OF THE HIGHEST POINTS OF THE PATH

10’

OPEN ENDS FRAME VIEWS

20’

ERMITA SAN RAFAEL

ALBERGUES (LA ESTANZUELA Y ATENGUILLO

2010 | Dellekamp Arquitectos | Periferica

2010 | Luis Aldrete

The final sanctuary before pilgrims reach their destination in Talpa is discretely situated within the forest . It serves as a places of reflection to look back at their journey. The halo-like circle symbolizes unity and the cyclical faith journey the pilgrims are experiencing.

A series of simple shelter spaces for sleep, relief, and enclosure, capable of adaptation and growth due to their modular nature, act as the primary overnight stop after the first day of walking.

125’

CIRCLE HOVERS ABOVE THE FOREST FLOOR AS IF IT HAS NO IMPACT ON THE GIVEN CONTEXT. WOVEN INTO THE ROCKY FOREST LANDSCAPE WITH TREES GROWING WITHIN AND AROUND IT WHITE CONCRETE STRUCTURE TOUCHES THE GROUND AT BUILT UP EARTH MOUNDS INTERRUPTS PILGRIMAGE PATH

10’

RESTROOM AND SHOWERS OPEN, MINIMAL SLEEPING QUARTERS TWO TYPES OF ADOBE CLAY BRICKS, ONE OPAQUE AND ONE LATTICED TO MIMIC THE OF LIGHT QUALITY CREATED BY OVERHEAD TREES ON THE INTERIOR ENTRANCE PLAZA PAVED WITH STONE STONE RETAINING WALLS GRASS AREA FOR SOFT SPACE FOR RELAXATION OR CAMPING

10’

20’

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EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO The El Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage route culminating in Santiago de Compostela. A network of trails stretch across western Europe, linking together roads, foot paths, and trails. Great spiritual significance has been attached to northwestern Spain for thousands of years as it was believed to be the ‘end of the earth’.

Finisterre, an Atlantic town west of Santiago, is situated at what was believed to be the most western tip of Europe.

Because of this locational significance, people flocked here from around Europe, creating the historic paths we now know as the El Camino de Santiago. As Christianity spread across Europe, Christians attached their own message to the destination. A cathedral was built in honor of St. James, the patron saint of Spain, and his miracle-laden relics laid to rest in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The church still grants indulgences for those who walked more than one hundred kilometers to Santiago.

pilgrims. Monasteries, churches, and pilgrim hostels, called albergues, provide shelter and food for a minimal price along the routes. On average, the French Way takes around thirty days to complete, walking an average of 25 km per day. Modern pilgrims use this time and distance as a retreat from the bustle of everyday life, their sole purpose being to keep moving. Pilgrims carry a credencial, or pilgrim’s passport, that is stamped at each town. This document acts as a record of their journey and proof to earn a compostela, or certificate of accomplishment, in Santiago.

Because the pilgrim’s journey begins at their doorstep, there are many different routes to Santiago, the most popular being the Camino Frances. This route begins where other paths leave off on the French side of the Pyrennes in St. Jean Pied-de-Port. Pilgrims then travel 750 kilometers through Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y Leon, and Galicia before arriving in Santiago. Today, there is an established support infrastructure for the

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CAMINO PATHS IN SPAIN Town Starting point Spanish camino route

CAMINO PATH PILGRIM DISTRIBUTION (2015) CAMINO FRANCES

172244

CAMINO PORTUGUESE

43149

CAMINO DEL NORTE

15873

CAMINO PRIMITIVO

11428

CAMINO INGLES

9247

VIA DE LA PLATA

9221

OTHER

359

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HISTORICAL TIMELINE 1,000,000 BC | PLEISTOCENE AGE The earliest human remains ever found in Europe were found on small hill outside Atapuerca, Spain.

10,000, BC | LATE PALEOLITHIC ERA Hunter-gatherer clans arrive in central Europe, eventually settling in the Cantabrian Mountains in NW Spain. Clans are known for rock art in cave dwellings notably in Altamira.

4,000 BC | MEGALITHIC PERIOD Dolmens/Mamoas megastone structures are aligned to the winter solstice for sun worship. These structures can be found along the camino in Galicia.

1,000 BC | EARTLY CELTIC PERIOD Central European Celts settled in Northwest Spain and Portugal giving rise to the Celtiberian tribes. Fortified celtic villages, called castros, were built in circular formations on elevated land or hillock. Mineral deposits gave rise to an artistic movement within the Celtiberian tribes resulting in a plethora of bronze, gold, and silver artifacts.

200 BC | EARLY ROMAN PERIOD The Roman Empire moved west to the Iberian Peninsula recognizing the area’s great mining potential. Roman General Brutus was the first Roman to break the Celtiberian resistance. He fought his way to Finisterre, then known as the ‘End of the World’ to claim this place of great spiritual significance at the time.

40 AD | EARLY CHRISTIAN PERIOD It is believed that St. James, one of the twelve apostles, preached in Galicia, later becoming the Patron Saint of Spain. He sailed to Finisterre to preach to the pagan population, and also to attach Christian meaning to the important Druidic and pagan rituals that took place there. It is common for Christians to graft their own messages on previously significant places and events. St. James was later martyred and his remains were brought back to Finisterre to rest.

C. 476-1453 AD | THE MIDDLE AGES The fall of the Roman Empire in Spain was hastened by the arrival of intruders from Gaul. Beginning in southern Spain, Islam began to spread across the peninsula from Africa. The Islamic Moors allowed complete religious freedom and artistic expression, allowing the arts and sciences to thrive in Spain.

813-1212 AD | RECONQUEST Bishop of Ira Flavia spearheaded the Christian reconquest of Spain under the guise of discovering St. James’ tomb. St. James ‘appeared’, turning the tides of battle, beginning at the Battle of Clavijo in 844 and ending with a victory of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. Following these appearances, St. James was designated as the Patron Saint of Spain.

950 & 1072 AD The first written record of pilgrimage to Santiago is recorded.

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C. 1100-1300 AD | PILGRIMAGE Santiago de Compostela grew in importance as a Catholic pilgrimage, eclipsing both roads to Rome and Jerusalem due to accessibility of route and the miracles associated with St. James relics.

French Priest, Aymeric Picaud recorded experiences on the camino in the Codex Calixtinus in honor of Pope Calixtus II. The fifth volume of the Codex Calixtinus is essentially a travel guide, dividing the path into thirteen stages beginning at St. Michel near St. Jean Pied de Port and culminating in Santiago de Compostela.

1479-1808 AD | THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS Spain’s golden age began with the union of Isabel I of Castile and Fernando V of Aragon. Together they oversaw the reacquisition, ridding the peninsula of other religions, and financing the discovery of the new world.

1808-1810 AD | PENINSULAR WAR Napoleon’s troops invaded Spain, later to be ejected with British help.

1936-1975 AD | FRANCO YEARS General Franco seized power of Spain, leading to a civil war, now famously visualized by Picasso in La Guernica.

1975-2013 AD | MODERN SPAIN Political reformist Adolfo Suarcy was appointed to form a new Spanish government. In 1978 a new constitution was drawn up, creating a full democracy with seventeen autonomous communities.

2004 AD | SECULAR SPAIN Socialist party won the Spanish elections leading to a radical shift from conservative Catholicism to a liberal secular society.

1556 AD Felipe II of Spain/Philip I of Portugal (Isabel and Charles’ son) became monarch of the united peninsula.

1700 AD Felipe V came to the throne beginning the War of Spanish Succession, a war in which Spain greatly suffered, losing Gibralter in the process.

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THE PILGRIMS In 2015, 262,515 pilgrims completed the camino. Since the 1980s this number has exponentially risen year after year. Most pilgrims are of Western European or American descent, coming from countries with strong Christian backgrounds. Pilgrims travel the camino on foot, bicycle, wheel chair, and horseback. One must walk a minimum of 100 km or ride a minimum of 200 km in order to earn their compostela, resulting in large numbers of pilgrims within the last leg of the camino. The camino is also seen as a tourist destination, as many tour buses make stops at major points along the route.

CAMINO WORLD PILGRIM DISTRIBUTION (2015)

Unlike well-known American hiking trails such as the PCT or AT, the combination of mild terrain, the network of albergues, and one’s ability to set their own pace makes the camino a very universal. Because of this, there is no prototypical pilgrim. People walk the camino at all stages of life, in varying degrees of health, and for a wide array of reasons.

PILGRIM TRANSPORT TYPES (2015)

236330 0-49 50-99 100-499

25343

500-999 1000-2999 3000-4999 5000-9999

771

10000-99999 100000+

71

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262,515 TOTAL PILGRIMS (2015)

CA

CAMIN

CAM

CA

V

262,515

PILGRIMS WALKED TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA IN 2015

0-49 50-99 100-499 500-999 1000-2999 3000-4999 5000-9999 10000-99999 100000+

262,515 TOTAL PILGRIMS (2015)

AMINO FRANCES

NO PORTUGUESE

43149

MINO DEL NORTE

25343

15873

AMINO PRIMITIVO

11428

CAMINO INGLES

771

9247

VIA DE LA PLATA OTHER

236330

172244

9221 359

71

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 15

C

CAMI

CA

CA

THE LANDSCAPE The Way of St. James has an existing network of monuments, markings, and rituals scattered throughout the 500 mile stretch between St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Santiago. The eight most described landmarks from pilgrim accounts and guidebooks are located and described on the elevation profile. Other landmarks such as ermitas, rock cairns, fuentes, arches, bridges, pilgrim statues, and crosses become common sights along the path, providing basic needs and marking significant locations.

271 km

The landscape in which these landmarks are situated changes over the course of 800 kilometers. It can be thought of as three distinct sections. They are as follows:

01 THE WAY OF PURIFICATION St. Jean Pied-de-Port - Burgos As a pilgrim, you are immediately extracted from your daily routine and thrown into a land of simplicity, pain, beauty, adventure.

Province Navarra; La Rioja Pop. Density 62/km2 ; 62/km2 Climate Continental with long, hot, dry summers and cold winters, risk of frost and violent storms in the mountains; Surrounding mountains affect wind and rainfall patterns and keep summer temperatures moderate Vegetation/Ecologies Atlantic deciduous species – oak, beech, chestnut -, meadows and scrubland with common gorse or furze, heather and ferns; Thyme, Rosemary, Juniper, Oak Topography Mountainous (Pyrennes); Rolling hills along river surrounded by mountains Economy Viticulture (High Rioja) and market gardening (Low Rioja) Notes Bullfighting and Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Hemmingway country; Renowned for wines

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204 km 254 km 02 THE WAY OF DEATH Burgos - Astorga You begin walking the meseta–a flat, colorless landscape that goes on and on forcing you to concentrate on pushing through. That focus makes you realize that all of the worries you used to prioritize no longer matter.

Province Castilla y Leon

03 THE WAY OF LIFE Astorga - Santiago As the landscape bursts into an undulating pattern of mountains and vineyards we approach the end, where nostalgia has already set in. You realize you’re about to return to what you used to know and begin planning for a new life. You scramble to find the spirit and lessons of an ancient pilgrimage in the modern world.

Pop. Density 27/km2 Climate Continental climate with cold winters and dry, warm summers Vegetation/Ecologies Agricultural fields Topography Flat and straight (Meseta Central) Economy Agriculture (vineyards, sugar beets, potato, alfalfa, vegetables, cereal crops), animal husbandry (nomadic pastoralism), industry (Burgos, Leon, Ponferrada), mining (silver, gold), energy (wind, hydro) Notes Nomadic pastoralism (drive large flocks of sheep 100s of miles to hills in the west), spotted with medieval castles

Province Galicia Pop. Density 94/km2 Climate Temperate and Rainy Vegetation/Ecologies Temperate deciduous forest (Quercus), eucalyptus tree plantations, extensive meadows Topography Hilly landscape, low mountains with rounded peaks Economy Animal husbandry, agriculture, ship building Notes Celtic origins, stone monuments and megaliths, middle ages hill forts, isolated from the rest of spain by mountains to the west, water to north and east, and Portugal to the south As told by Susan the pilgrim from Tuscon to Michael George. http://home.michaelgeorgephoto.com

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CHRONOLOGICAL CAMINO PHOTO TOUR (ST. JEAN-SANTIAGO)

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PIC D’ORISSON

IRACHE FUENTE DE VINO

After Orisson, you arrive at Biakorre where there is a statue of the Virgin. From here, the views stretch into the distance as far as Pic d’Aspe and the Somport Pass where the Camino Aragones passes from France into Spain. This area once held a medieval pilgrims hostel of which nothing remains.

On one of the walls facing the Pilgrims´ Way to Santiago, Bodegas Irache has a Wine Fountain, so that pilgrims can serve themselves a free glass of wine to spur them on their way. This stretch of the Way to Compostela was already renowned for the quality of the local wine in the 12th century and still is today.

ALTO DEL PERDON

‘PILGRIM WHO CALLS YOU’ POEM

On the summit of Alto del Perdon is an iconic sculpture dedicated to all the pilgrims who walk the Camino Del Santiago. The long metal sculpture representing pilgrims on foot and on horse reflects the historical and eternal nature of the walk. There is a Spanish inscription on it “donde se cruza el camino del viento con el de las estrellas” meaning “where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars,” referring to the adjacent windfarm.

The spray painted poem appears near the Castilloan town of Nájera. Its message speaks of the innermost reasons that pilgrims walk the camino, not for the food, or wine, or culture, but for the intangibles that keep you going.

CARRION DE LOS CONDES SAN ZOILO

CALZADILLA DE LA CUEZA

0

VILLALCAZAR DE SIRGA

POBLACION DE CAMPOS

2200

FROMISTA

0

VILLARMENTERO DE CAMPOS

BOADILLA DEL CAMINO

40

REVENGA DE CAMPOS

ITERO DE LA VEGA

0

SAN NICHOLAS

CASTROJERIZ

0

SAN ANTON

HONTANAS

ARROYO SAN BOL

HORNILLOS DEL CAMINO

RABE DE LAS CALZADAS

TARDAJOS

VILLALBILLA DE BURGOS

BURGOS

VILLAFRIA

ORBANEJA

VILLALVAL CARDENUELA RIOPICO

ATAPUERCA

AGES

VILLAFRANCA MONTES DE OCA

SAN JUAN DE ORTEGA

EPINOSA DEL CAMINO

VILLAMBISTIA

TOSANTOS

00

BELORADO

0

6

VILAMAYOR DEL RIO

2100

VILORIA DE RIOJA

CASTILDELGADO

REDECILA DEL CAMINO

GRANON

SANO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA

Stone Spiral

CIRUENA

AZOFRA

NAJERA

VENTOSA

NAVARRETE

LOGRONO

VIANA

SANSOL TORRES DEL RIO

LOS ARCOS

‘Pilgrim Who Calls You’

AZQUETA VILLAMAYOR DE MONJARDIN

FUENTE DE VINO (WINE FOUNTAIN)

ESTELLA

VILLATUERTA

LORCA

CIRAUQUI

MANERU

PUENTE LA REINA/GARES

OBANOS

Irache Fuente de Vino

MURUZABAL

UTERGA

ALTO DE PERDON

CIZUR MENOR

PAMPLONA

VILLAVA

PARQUE

ZURIAIN

LARRASOANA

ZUBIRI

ALTO DE ERRO

LINZOAIN

GERENDIAN

ALTO DE MEZQUIRIZ

ESPINAL

BURGUETE`

RONCESVALLES

ROLAND WATER FOUNTAIN

PIC D’ORISSON

ALBERGUE ORISSON

Alto del Perdon

ALBERGUES

ST JEAN PIED DE PORT

Pic d’Orisson

ZARIQUIEGUI

EXISTING LANDMARKS

LANDMARKS AND RITUALS

1500 m

200000

1000 m

180000

500 m

155000

0m

00

0

00

00 0

0

00

0

0

0 0

90

6600 50

3000

4000

3

200

14000 2500

2200

0

0

800

OPULATIONS

ROFILE AND PATH DISTRIBUTION

8200

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Located at 1270 meters altitude, this statue marks one of the highest locations along the camino. The bronze statue depicts a pilgrim fighting the elements, using his walking stick and holding on to his hat. It sits atop a circular plinth planted with grass, overlooking the green hills of Galicia.

CRUZ DE FERRO

MONTE DO GOZO

A small iron cross sits atop a very tall wooden pillar. Pilgrims carry a stone with them and leave it below the cross. The stone represents the burdens of life or something that needs to be left behind before entering the final phase of the pilgrimage.

Traditionally, a prayer is offered at La Cruz de Ferro.

Located at 370 meters altitude, pilgrims capture their first views of the three spires of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela at Mount Gozo. It is the last hill and stop before reaching the cathedral, with only about an hour’s downhill walk to go. A bronze statue of pilgrims viewing the spires, a sculpture to celebrate Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1989, and a large albergue development mark the hill.

VILAMAIOR

LAVOCOLLA

SAN PAYO

O PEDROUZO

ARCA

SANTA IRENE

SALCEDA

CALLE

CALZADA

RIBADISO ARZUA

BOENTE DE BAIXO

CASTANEDA

MELIDE

LOBREIRO

SAN XULIAN

MATO CASANOVA

PALAS DE REI

PORTOS

LIGONDA EIREXE

HOSPITAL DE LA CRUZ

VANTAS DE MARON

GONZAR

PORTOMARIN

VILCHA

MERCADOIRO

FERRERIOS

MORGADE

PERUSCALLO

BARBADELO

SARRIA

AGUIADA SAN MAMED DEL CAMINO

Catedral de Santiago

135000

SAMOS

RENCHE

SAN CRISTOBO

TRIACASTELA

BIDUEDO

FONFRIA

PADORNELO

Monte do Gozo

HOSPITAL DE LA CONDESA

LINARES

O CEBREIRO

LA LAGUNA DE CASTILLA

LA FABA

LAS HERRERIAS DE VALCARCE

RUITELAN

VEGA DE VALCARECE

LA PORTELA DE VALCARE

TRABADELO

PEREJE

VILLAFRANCA DEL BIERZO

VALTUILLE DE ARRIBA

LAS ANGUSTIAS

CACABELOS

CAMPONARAYA

FUENTES NUEVAS

COMPOSTILLA

PONFERRADA

MOLINASECA

RIEGO DE AMBROS

EL ACEBO

MANJARIN

CRUZ DE FERRO

FONCEBADON

RABANAL DEL CAMINO

EL GANSO

SANTA CATALINA DE SOMOZA

MURIAS DE RECHIVALDO

ASTORGA

SAN JUSTO DE LA VEGA

SANTIBANEZ DE VALDEIGLESIAS

VILLARES DE ORBIGO

HOSPITAL DE ORBIGO

VILLAVANTE

VILLAR DE MAZARIFE

CHOZAS DE ABAJO

ONCINA DE LA VALDONCINA

FRESNO DEL CAMINO

VIRGEN DEL CAMINO

TROBAJO DEL CAMINO

LEON

PUENTE CASTRO

VILDELAFUENTE

ARCAHUEJA

Alto de San Roque

6300

7500

3600

2000

21

029

155

72

12

3500

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 21

5500

98

2100

8

82

92

90

4820

900

0

50

00

53

2800

69000

96000

12000

130,000

VILLARENTE

VILLARMOROS DE MANSILLA

MANSILLA DE LAS MULAS

RELIEGOS

VILLAMARCO

EL BURGO RANEROS

BERCIANOS REAL CAMINO

CALZADA DEL COTO

SAHAGUN

SAN NICOLAS

MORATINOS

TERRADILLOS DE TEMPLARIOS

0

0

LEDIGOS

Cruz de Ferro

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

After leaving Atapuerca, with its remains of prehistoric man, there is a stony ascent. Near the top of the hill sits very tall cross. When you continue up the hill, suddenly, without warning, a vast plateau opens in front of you. on which there is a stone spiral made of a single continuous line of stones that pilgrims have placed there over time.

SAN LAZARO

ALTO DE SAN ROQUE

MONTE GOZO

CRUZ DE MATA GRANDE & STONE SPIRAL

RECURRING LANDMARKS FUENTES

ROCKS

Water fountains are common along The Way. Water is either connected to the city main water lines or spring water below ground. Some fountains date back to the medieval times. The water is potable unless otherwise marked. This amenity allows pilgrims to carry less water with them.

These are mounds of rough stones built as a memorial or landmark. On the El Camino, Pilgrims pick up stones along the way to symbolize the burdens they intend to leave behind and add them to the piles atop each one. Originally, people would pile up rocks to mark the way for those following. Now, it is said that you can put your sorrow in one of these stones and by leaving them behind, you’ll be able to let it go.

research 22

ERMITA

PATH MARKERS

A hermitage is a type of monastery. Typically it has a room for religious devotion, basic sleeping quarters and a domestic cooking range, suitable for the ascetic way of living of the inhabitant. There are numerous ermitas dedicated to different saints along the El Camino de Santiago. They are open to the public, provide shelter and provide a place for prayer and rest during the day.

The path is marked in numerous ways, symbols and signs mark the path so maps need not be drawn from their heavy packs.

Yellow arrows, scallop shells, stone menhirs, and rock formations are among the most common.

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 23

THE PATH fields, down rocky slopes, and over medieval bridges.

Path infrastructures such as fountains, albergues, chapels, wayside crosses, and picnic areas, and symbols like scallop shells, yellow arrows, and red hearts lead the way, keeping pilgrims en route to Santiago.

50 KM

The Camino Frances passes through over 150 settlements, towns and cities, ranging from large metropolises like Leon to two person towns settled to help sustain the camino. The materiality and situation of the path also varies. Pilgrims walk upon paved city roads, next to highways, up mountain dirt roads, through forests and

PATH DIAGRAMS Illustrate

the macro rhythms inscribed into the French Way through the distribution of populations, physical characteristics, and established pilgrim infrastructures.

research 24

The path is almost always oriented west, a one-way vessel to Santiago. Pilgrims begin each day at or before sunrise, walking through the morning hours with the sun to their backs. There is also great significance placed upon the path’s horizon. Seemingly infinite at times, the horizon is a place of reveal and obscurity on the camino. Churh

spires peak out to reveal an upcoming town, while slight topography conceals what is beyond for miles.

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CAMINO INFRASTRUCTURES DISTRIBUTION These diagrams illustrate the extensive network of pilgrim infrastructures along the French Way. Strenuous areas such as at the top of steep topography and long stretches of monotonous agricultural land make gaps in these amenities and visual cues even harder to endure.

CITIES & BORDERS

These diagrams were used to aid in intervention siting along the 780 km trail. Specifically, the project sought after large gaps in shelter or rest areas in physically tough environments.

RIVERS & STREAMS

FOUNTAIN

research 26

PICNIC

CAFE &

BAR

CROSSES

CHAPELS

CHURCHES

ALBERGUES

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INTERVENTION SITES After rigorous analysis of the camino, a series of criteria was developed for site selection along the Camino Frances: 1. Situate within amenity gaps such as water, shelter, and populations 2. Situate within a monotonous or laborious stretch 3. Represent diverse landscape qualities: topography, climate, 4. Represent diverse situations within the rural/urban spectrum

Four initial intervention sites were chosen for the pilgrim gardens.

01 MOUNTAIN VIEWPOINT 02 HIGHWAY REST STOP 03 MESETA THRESHOLD 04 PRECIPITATION PASTURE

proposal 28

SITE 01 MOUNTAIN VIEWPOINT 43.025 N, 1.30 W, 1421 M EL. 764 KM TO SANTIAGO

SITE 02 HIGHWAY REST STOP 42.43 N, 3.12 W, 785 M EL. 561 KM TO SANTIAGO

SITE 03 MESETA THRESHOLD 42.45 N, 5.26 W, 870 M EL. 350 KM TO SANTIAGO

SITE 04 PRECIPITATION PASTURE 42.77 N, 7.46 W , 615 M EL. 110 KM TO SANTIAGO

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 29

INTERVENTION IMPLEMENTATION The intervention implementation sequence consists of a choreographed set of site instructions, linking the collection of sites, yet providing flexibility in material, organization, and site specific factors. The interventions do not have a predetermined end-state or climax. Following implementation the interventions are left in the hands of disturbances and the pilgrims. The landscapes are meant to evolve and change over time, possibly disappearing into the camino landscape.

Just as the camino changes with time and space, so will the pilgrim-gardens, reflecting the pilgrim experience onto the pilgrim’s surrounding landscape. The intervention implementation sequence involves 4 distinct stages described below: 01. Prepare Field dig, pile, loosen, compact, remove, gather, spread The existing earth on individual sites will be disturbed in order to accept the interventions. This initial disturbance deliberately marks the site, starting a dialogue between the intervention and the existing. It marks it as other, with the intention of grabbing the pilgrims attention and changing their current perceptions of their surroundings.

The preparation of the field will create contrasting planes upon which the frames and materials may attach themselves.

02. Establish Frame structure, support, armature, scaffolding, foundation Frames will both frame the landscape and act as structural framing for materials to gather. They will act as a constant in the ever-changing landscape and provide a datum upon which to read this change. The framing of the landscape will visually remove parts of the landscape through distraction and obstruction to amplify the existing or latent.

MATERIALITY: hard, light, stable; contrast the surroundings without feeling obtrusive • Metal Fence Posts • Perforated Fencing • Gabion Baskets • Metal Edging • Erosion Fabric

03. Deploy Material plant, dump, pile, spray, scatter, introduce, position Materials will reside within the frames. They have the potential for change, movement, and transformation.

Designed cues revealed in the organization of frames will reveal the materials potentials.

MATERIALITY: natural media consistent with the site specific landscape • Water • Rock • Soil • Vegetation 04. Introduce Actors give, take, move, blow, wash, weave, tangle, accumulate, deposit, erode, grow After the initial armature implementation the site building process continues through repeated natural and anthropic disturbances, adding to perceptions of landscape ephemerality. The interventions will transform, grow, move, and disappear with time as wind, water, sun, and pilgrims act upon the materials and their associated frames.

MATERIALITY: both anthropic and natural actors • Pilgrims • Animals • Wind • Rain • Sun

proposal 30

00. SITE

01. FIELD PREPARATION

02. FRAMES

03. MATERIAL INITIATION

04.1 NATURAL DISTURBANCE

04.2 PILGRIM DISTURBANCE

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 31

SITE 1 EXISTING LANDSCAPE

SITE 2 EXISTING LANDSCAPE

SITE 1 SITE PREPARATION

SITE 2 SITE PREPARATION

SITE 1 SPATIAL FRAME

SITE 2 SPATIAL FRAME

SITE 1 TEMPORAL FRAME 1

SITE 2 TEMPORAL FRAME 1

SITE 1 TEMPORAL FRAME 2

SITE 2 TEMPORAL FRAME 2

proposal 32

SITE 3 EXISTING LANDSCAPE

SITE 4 EXISTING LANDSCAPE

SITE 3 SITE PREPARATION

SITE 3 SITE PREPARATION

SITE 2 SPATIAL FRAME

SITE 4 SPATIAL FRAME

SITE 3 TEMPORAL FRAME 1

SITE 4 TEMPORAL FRAME 1

SITE 3 TEMPORAL FRAME 2

SITE 4 TEMPORAL FRAME 2

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 33

SITE 01 MOUNTAIN VIEWPOINT 43.025 N, 1.30 W, 1421 M EL. 764 KM TO SANTIAGO

The first site intervention in the pilgrim garden series is located 20 km from the popular departure point of St. Jean. It sits at the peak of one of the most strenuous climbs of the camino on Napoleon’s Pass in the Pyrennes.

The intervention is meant to provide a place to rest after the difficult first day, frame the overwhelming views, and wake pilgrims from their meditative state to focus on their changing surroundings, thoughts, and bodily relationships.

First, the site is prepared with a bed of rock, recalling the rocky landscape endured that day. A series of tall rock piles line the path as the pilgrim approaches the lookout point, each pile of a different type or size. The piles are an organized take on the pilgrim created rock cairns left along the path. These rock piles, along with ruderal vegetation, seeds, and soil that blow or erode into them, will act as the initial material for garden building.

As the pilgrim nears, stacked gabion baskets emerge from the bed of gravel. They form a translucent frame that becomes more apparent to the eye as the pilgrim moves closer. Over time, the gabions will fill with rocks.

Pilgrims may choose to move rocks from the piles and fit them into the gabion baskets to create a tessellation of transparencies determined by rock size and type. As rocks move with the flow of pilgrims the frame will transform along with the landscapes it is framing.

ROCK PILES It is customary for pilgrims to carry rocks with them on the camino.

They are symbolic of the heavy burdens carried through life and the camino. At key thresholds and landmarks rocks are deposited in piles .

proposal 34

EXISTING CONDITIONS

EXISTING PATH PROFILE The Pilgrim’s Gardens 35

GABION FRAME

proposal 36

GABION FRAME The wire frame

provides scale within the vast space.

Over time, as more rocks are dropped into the gabions, the transparency changes, altering the perceptions of enclosure, light, and foreground.

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ROCKS FILLED BY PILGRIMS

TRELLISSED CEILING

STACKED GABION BASKETS

INTERIOR SEATING

SHELTER FRAME The gabions

create enclosure within the vast landscape. Seating provides a place to rest and take in the landscape after the strenuous climb

6m SHELTER FRAME

1m

proposal 38

1m

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 39

3.5 m

STEEL COLUMN

6m REFLECTIO

ROCKY SLOPES Piles of gravel are

formed on the sloping mountainside, mimicing the surrounding landscape.

The piles futures are indeterminate as plants and seeds may colonize or pilgrims may move the rocks.

proposal 40

N

ROCKS FILLED BY PILGRIMS STACKED GABION BASKETS

ROCK PILE

GRAVEL FIELD CONCRETE FOOTING

m ON DITCH

1m

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 41

SITE 02 HIGHWAY REST STOP 42.43 N, 3.12 W, 785 M EL. 561 KM TO SANTIAGO

While walking the El Camino de Santiago pilgrims experience a variety of landscapes. Some are natural and picturesque, while others serve as reminders of the busy, modern world. The second pilgrim garden is situated in the latter, paralleling a highway that bisects a very harsh and exposed environment. This intervention aims to amplify the linearity of the highway while simultaneously drawing the eye towards the abrupt topographical ‘bumps’ that interrupt the flat, monotonous farmland.

Metal fencing stretches between a series of vertical steel stakes. This acts as a translucent datum upon which to read the changing landscape and collect ruderal vegetation. Pilgrims are encouraged to weave blades of grass within the fencing as they do with crosses on other parts of the camino. The accumulation of weavings changes the transparency over time and acts as a visual marker of pilgrim movement. In addition, seating and shade are incorporated into the fencing to provide relief for the pilgrims.

FENCE WEAVING In multiple places along the camino pilgrims weave vegetation through the fencing, representing prayers.

proposal 42

EXISTING CONDITIONS

EXISTING PATH PROFILE The Pilgrim’s Gardens 43

proposal 44

FENCE FRAMING The fencing

provides a translucent frame through which to view the landscape. The boundaries give frame of reference for change.

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 45

UNMOWN RUDERAL VEGETATION CAUGHT BENEATH FENCIN

3m

BUILT IN SEATING

3m

WOVEN VEGETATION The

fence provides a warp for pilgrims to weave. Vegetation will build up and break down over time, altering transparencies and views of the landscape.

proposal 46

NG

SURROUNDING VEGETATION WOVEN BY PILGRIMS CHAINLINK FENCING

1m

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 47

CHAINLINK FENCING

LIVE STAKES, Cornus Sericea

EXSISTING FIELD

NEW DRAINAGE DITCH

LINEAR SEA UNMOWN RUDERAL VEGETATION

FENCE FRAME

VEGETATION CATCHMENT The

long, linear fence acts as a snow fence but for vegetation. Soil, seeds, and plants are caught beneath and behind and left unmown. This provides material for pilgrims to weave.

proposal 48

ATING

GRAVEL PATHWAY

CAMINO PATH

ROAD SHOULDER

1m

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SITE 03 MESETA THRESHOLD 42.45 N, 5.26 W, 870 M EL. 350 KM TO SANTIAGO

The third intervention is situated on the meseta, Spain’s high central plateau. The meseta is extremely hot during the summer and largely consists of cereal crop fields with few trees. This pilgrim garden takes advantage of a stream, an anomaly on the meseta, and the grid of maple trees lining its flood plain. A sparse alee of young trees stretches for kilometers leading pilgrims to this dense threshold surrounding the stream. This garden aims to establish a choreography in the pilgrim’s approach to the arroyo, or stream, emphasize the linearity of the path, and amplify the feeling of crossing a threshold.

A series of linear elements bisect the camino path, fading into the adjacent agricultural fields. Berms, ditches, and rocks punctuate the monotonous rhythm of the path and invite ruderal vegetation to colonize. The earthen lines provide visual datums to read the landscape and eventually lead pilgrims to a rest area beneath the maple threshold. This intervention does not have direct pilgrim interaction, but it does invite pilgrims to interact, add of take away from the elements.

LINEAR PATH On the meseta, the

camino is dangerously straight. It bisects a patchwork of monotonous fields as it fades into the endless horizon. Vegetative anomalies and roads read legibly against canvas of crops.

proposal 50

EXISTING CONDITIONS

EXISTING PATH PROFILE The Pilgrim’s Gardens 51

proposal 52

LINEAR THRESHOLDS Linear piles bisect the linear path, emphasizing the horizon and giving scale to the never ending landscape.

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 53

CEREAL CROP FIELD

BOULDER ALIGNMENT LINEAR BOULDER THRESHOLD

CEREAL CROP FIELD

RED EARTH BERM LINEAR BERM THRESHOLD proposal 54

YOUNG MAPLE TREE ALLEE

CAMINO PATH

ROAD SHOULDER

YOUNG MAPLE TREE ALLEE

CAMINO PATH

ROAD SHOULDER

1m

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 55

SITE 04 PRECIPITATION PASTURE 42.77 N, 7.46 W , 615 M EL. 110 KM TO SANTIAGO

The fourth pilgrim garden is situated in the rolling hills of Galicia only 110 km from Santiago. In this area bovine pastures pass by in a blur as pilgrims get lost in the hopes of their impending arrival. Galicia receives over 75” of rain per year, setting it apart from the rest of Spain climatically. This intervention takes advantage of the province’s precipitation while also providing dry shelter for pilgrims to rest and escape the rain. A series of circular ditches are prepared in an adjacent pasture.

The ditches’ sharp edges slice into the soft earth to reveal barren soil six inches down and to contrast the ethereal grasses surrounding them. The swatches of earth are left unplanted, yet they invite the possibility of recolonization by migrating plants and seedlings. During rain events the ditches come alive and a spotted field of reflections emerges. The surrounding forests and fields are framed in the puddles of water, creating density and confusing perceptions of space. The circular frames provide a datum to read the changing landscape as new vegetation emerges and water levels rise and fall. The ditches mark rain events into the site’s history through their intermittent water storage and the envisioned emergence of water-loving vegetations.

GALICIA RAIN The camino is often

damp in Galicia. The lush greenery contrasts the brown meseta. Haze and trees, reflect in the puddles, imprinting the image onto the landscape.

As a complement to the circular water gardens, the removed earth is mounded to keep water from running down the site’s existing slope. The mounds frame the east side of each circular ditch and seats are carved into the earthen mounds to create a rest area.

proposal 56

EXISTING CONDITIONS

EXISTING PATH PROFILE The Pilgrim’s Gardens 57

DRY PASTURE When dry, a

constellation of circular ditches is visible. Initially, the revelated soil greatly contrasts its surrounding vegetation, yet over time, water loving ruderals will colonize the spaces, creating a more subtle contrast

proposal 58

WET PASTURE During and after rain events, the circular ditches become organized puddles within the field.

Dynamically, the puddles reflect their sourroundings.

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 59

SEATING ATOP SLOPED MOUND METAL EDGING

EXISTING PASTURE

EARTHEN MOUND

RE

ADDITIVE AND SUBTRACTIVE EXCAVATION A series of circular

shapes is excavated from the pasture.

The subtracted earth is then mounded on the low side of each ditch to better hold the water and provide a place for pilgrims to rest.

proposal 60

10 m EFLECTION DITCH

WEED BARRIER WATER RETENTION

EXISTING PASTURE

1m

The Pilgrim’s Gardens 61

SEATING ATOP SLOPED MOUND EARTHEN MOUNDS

METAL EDGING

10 m

1

REFLECTION DITCH

REFLECT

proposal 62

WATER RETENTION

10 m

TION DITCH

WIND SCREEN

1m

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WORKS CITED Brierly, John. A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino De Santiago: St. Jean, Roncesvalles, Santiago. 10th ed. Camino

Guides, 2014. Print. Camino Guides .

Careri, Francesco. Walkscapes. Tran. Paul Hammond Steve Piccolo. Ed. Gustavo Gili. Barcelona: GG, 2002.

Print. Land&scapeseries.

Cowles, Sarah. “Occupy”.2016, Ohio State University. Print.

Dagenais, D. “The Garden of Movement: Ecological Rhetoric in Support of Gardening Practice.” Studies in the

History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes 24.4 (2004): 313-40. Print.

Descombes, G (1999) Shifting Sites: The Swiss Way, Geneva. In Recovering Landscape: Essays in

Contemporary Landscape Architecture, J Corner (ed) New York: Princeton Architectural Press,

pp. 78-85. Print.

George, Michael. “Portrait of a Pilgrim.” 2016. Web. <http://home.michaelgeorgephoto.com/portrait-of-a-pilgrim>.

Long, Richard. A Line made by Walking. London: Afterall Books, 2010. Print. One Work Series .

Ministerio de Fomento. “Download Centre: Centro Nacional de Infromacion Geografica.” Web.

Instituto Geografico Nacional. <http://centrodedescargas.cnig.es/CentroDescargas/>.

Nassauer, J. I. “Messy Ecosystem, Orderly Frames.” Landscape Journal 14.2 (1995): 161-70. Print.

Nisbet, J. “The Art of Processing: Anti Form, Energy, and Ecological Materiality.” Ecologies, Environements, and Energy

Systems in Art of the 1960s and 1970s. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2014. Print.

Rotzler, S (1993) Looking to the Past - the Swiss Path, Topos 3 pp 93-99. Print.

Solnit, Rebecca. Wanderlust: A History of Walking. New York: Viking Penguin, 2000. Print.

Suarez, Claudia. “Hiking Step by Step to the Virgin of Talpa.” Topos 86: Construction 2014: 53. Print.

Torrisesen, B. C. “Walk 500 Miles in My Shoes.” 2010. Web. <http://www.pvv.org/~bct/camino/index.html>.

Wellacher, U. “Art in Nature.” Land and Environmental Art. Eds. J. Kastner and B. Wallis. London: Phaidon

Press, 1998. Print.

Woudstra, J. “From Counterculture to Eco-Cathedral: The Continuing Legacy of Louis Guillaume Le Roy.”

Dutch Crossing 27.2 (2003): 269. Print.

references 64

The Pilgrimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gardens 65

BIOGRAPHY Growing up in Cincinnati, a city known for its big city vibe and small town feel, Staci is a true product of the midwest. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati, participating in their world-renowned cooperative education program. In the past six years, Staci has lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, New York City, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Berkeley, California, and now, Columbus, Ohio.

The co-op program gave her the opportunity to immerse herself within and explore multiple landscapes and levels of urbanity in a relatively short period of time, growing her interest in the intersections of landscape and culture.

Staci is a recent graduate of the Masters of Landscape Architecture at The Ohio State University. Throughout her time here she has worked on a wide breadth of projects ranging from her team’s 2014 ULI Honorable Mention Sulpher Dell revitalization project in Nashville, TN, a one acre test plot forest designed Pooh Bear and the Brothers Grimm, and a Phragmites research park around the Saginaw Bay. Also, for the past two years she has worked as an intern for the Goodale Park Vision Plan in Columbus’ Victorian Village neighborhood. Her team worked with

neighborhood residents to create a master plan document to visualize the park’s potential and guide future design decisions.

Staci was introduced to the El Camino de Santiago in 2012 while watching The Way. Because of their shared love for hiking, culturally immersive experiences, and faith, she and her husband felt an immediate connection to the trail. The next few years were spent scouring blogs, reading books, and waiting for the right timing to plan this six week sabbatical. She always felt this could be transformed into a landscape project to explore the ephemeral connections between pilgrim, path, and the surrounding environments. Following that feeling, this past winter Staci Betsch was awarded an Architecture Travel Award from the Knowlton School to study the El Camino de Santiago, and she will be departing on May 8 to walk 500 miles from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela.

Staci and her husband will be moving to the San Francisco Bay area to pursue careers in landscape and urban design this June.

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The Pilgrimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gardens 67

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First I must acknowledge our DiRP advisor, Sarah Cowles.

She set an expectation of rigor and creativity, while allowing the freedom to explore our own passions within the field. Her interest in the ruderal and ecological and designed processes has been greatly influential to my design process. In addition, I am thankful to be a part of the landscape section at OSU. The facultyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for pushing the boundaries of landscape and questioning its role has far exceeded my initial expectations and notions of the field. I would also like to acknowledge my husband, Alex Betsch, for his unrelenting support throughout my graduate studies, and last, my dog Jolene, for offering therapeutic stress relief sessions throughout the past 2 1/2 years.

references 68

The Pilgrimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gardens 69