Foncebadón

Foncebadón is a Spanish village in the municipality of Santa Colomba de Somoza, in the province of León.

The village, situated on a popular pilgrimage route called the Way of St. James, flourished during the Middle Ages, offering shelter and hospitality to the pilgrims who passed through on their way to Santiago de Compostela. According to local tradition, the village was granted a tax exemption in return for planting 800 stakes in the ground to mark the path. In the 10th century, Ramiro II of León convened a religious council in the village, and in the 11th or 12th century, the hermit Guacelmo established a hospital and a church.