The Royal Collegiate Church of Roncesvalles was built in the French Gothic style. King Sancho VII built this church in the 13th century as part of the hospital’s facilities in Roncesvalles; its purpose was to provide succour to pilgrims on the Way of Saint James after crossing the Pyrenees. Highlights include the cloister, the chapel of San Agustín, the chapel of Santiago and the crypt, consisting of a straight section of barrel vault and a pentagonal apse. The walls and vaults are covered in mural paintings dating from the 13th century. The art treasures of the Royal collegiate church are housed in a museum in one of the rooms in the church, and include a particularly interesting collection of precious metalwork, exhibited in six display cases. Also outstanding is a chess set belonging to the Emperor Charlemagne, a Renaissance silver chest and a silver-plated wooden statue of the Virgin and Child. There is also a selection of paintings, books and sculptures.
References:Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.
Ludwig II, who was crowned king in 1864, began his building activities in 1867-1868 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz and laying the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle. In 1868 he was already making his first plans for Linderhof. However, neither the palace modelled on Versailles that was to be sited on the floor of the valley nor the large Byzantine palace envisaged by Ludwig II were ever built.
Instead, the new building developed around the forester's house belonging to his father Maximilian II, which was located in the open space in front of the present palace and was used by the king when crown prince on hunting expeditions with his father.