Pons - Hôpital des pèlerins

Geoffroy III de Pons, Richard Lionheart´s vasall, fortified the town of Pons, placed on a limestone plateau over the valley, during the 12th century.

In 1160 Geoffroy founded the "hôpital des pèlerins", outside the walls of the town, as an older one was too small to host the growing numbers of pilgrims following the "Via Turonensis" on their way to Santiago de Compostella.
The Knight Templars led the Hopital in the beginning. After 1312 the Bishop of Saintes took over the responsiblity. After the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion the pilgrimage had come to an end. So since the 16th century the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Knights of Malta) used the buildings as a local hospital, that was closed during the French Revolution.

Many places aside the old pilgrimage routes have medieval graffiti. The sandstone walls around the portal of the old hôpital des pèlerins are covered with carved graffiti. A horseshoe like this one, combined with a cross, is a common pilgrim´s graffiti (see previous upload). It is believed, that the pilgrims so ensured a special blessing for their horses, mules and donkeys.