The Monastery of San Juan de Ortega, an emblematic monastic complex located in the small town of San Juan de Ortega, belonging to the hamlet of Barrios de Colina, in the province of Burgos, stands as one of the jewels of the French Way of St. James. This monastery, surrounded by the mountainous landscape of the Montes de Oca, is a place of great historical and spiritual value, being a traditional stopping point for pilgrims traveling the Jacobean route.

The monastery owes its origin and name to Juan de Velázquez, known as San Juan de Ortega, a religious man born in Quintanaortuño (Burgos) in 1080. He dedicated his life to improving the conditions of the pilgrims who traveled the Camino de Santiago, participating in the construction of roads, bridges and other infrastructures. His greatest work was the foundation of a chapel and a small monastery in a region known as Ortega, from the Latin "Urtica", which means nettle or weed, due to the predominant vegetation. This would be the germ of the current Monastery of San Juan de Ortega, originally founded around 1138 under the Rule of St. Augustine and initially known as the Monastery of St. Nicholas. On April 24, 1138, Pope Innocent II granted papal protection to this monastery, consolidating its religious relevance.

Saint John of Ortega died on June 2, 1163, but his legacy lived on and the monastery continued to develop and expand in the following decades. Over time, this religious center experienced periods of decadence and renewal. In 1431, the monastery was almost in ruins, with only three monks inhabiting it. It was then that the bishop of Burgos, Pablo de Santa María, ordered the Hieronymite monks of the Royal Monastery of Nuestra Señora de Fresdelval to take possession of the place, remaining there until the disentailment of 1835, when their goods were auctioned and sold to the public.

Currently, the Monastery of San Juan de Ortega has undergone several restoration and rehabilitation processes, preserving its historical character and remaining a sanctuary that attracts numerous devotees and visitors every year.

The monastic complex of San Juan de Ortega includes several architectural elements of great value, such as the Church of San Juan de Ortega, the Chapel of San Nicolás de Bari or Chapel of the Saint, the Cloister of the Jerónimos, and the Pilgrims' Refuge, which houses a small reddish stone cloister, a point of special interest for pilgrims passing through on the Camino de Santiago.

The church, belonging to the Archpriestrazgo de San Juan de Ortega within the diocese of Burgos, is a Romanesque and Gothic style construction that stands out for its architectural harmony and artistic value. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest on June 3, 1931, this church is a living testimony of the region's medieval past.

One of the most remarkable elements of the church is the Capital of the Annunciation, a Romanesque masterpiece that, during the equinoxes (March 21 and September 22), is illuminated in a unique way by a ray of sunlight that, at 5 pm (solar time), falls directly on the capital, revealing the image of the Virgin Mary that seems to be heading towards the light instead of the traditional St. Gabriel. This phenomenon symbolizes a mystical message of the medieval builders, unique in the West.

Inside the church there are two Romanesque tombs moved from the Chapel of St. Nicholas in 1964. One of them, which contains the remains of San Juan de Ortega, is austere and lacks ornamentation, while the other, which was used to prevent despoilment, is richly decorated with figures and scenes carved in relief. In the transept of the church there is a 15th century Elizabethan Gothic baldachin, which was erected by order of Isabella the Catholic and shows detailed reliefs of the life of the saint.

The monastery also houses valuable pieces of gold and silverwork, such as a small ivory crucifix from the 12th century, which is currently on display at the Museo del Retablo in Burgos.

The monastery of San Juan de Ortega continues to be a fundamental pilgrimage destination on the French Camino de Santiago, not only for its religious importance and historical hospitality, but also for the rich artistic and architectural heritage it offers to those who visit it.