Roland's Breach (; ; ; ; ) is the name of a natural gap, 40 m across and 100 m high, at an elevation of 2,804 m in the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

on the border of

Aragón Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to south): Huesca, Zaragoza, a ...

, northern Spain, and

Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées (; Gascon/ Occitan: ''Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus'' awts piɾeˈnɛʊs ; alts piɾiˈneʊs ) is a department in the region of Occitania, southwestern France. The department is bordered by Pyrénées-Atlantiques to t ...

, southwestern France. The gap is situated in the

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Parque nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido) is an IUCN Category II National Park situated in the Pyrenees. There has been a National Park in the Ordesa Valley since 1918. Its protected area was enlarged in 1 ...

on the Franco-Spanish border, close to the steep cliffs of the

Cirque de Gavarnie __NOTOC__ The Cirque de Gavarnie () is a cirque in the central Pyrenees, in Southwestern France, close to the border of Spain. It is within the commune of Gavarnie, the department of Hautes-Pyrénées, and the Pyrénées National Park. Major ...

. According to one legend, Roland's Breach was cut by Count

Roland Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was mil ...

with his sword

Durendal Durendal, also spelled Durandal, is the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and partially historical officer of Charlemagne in French epic literature. The sword is famous for its hardness and sharpness. Sources including '' La Chanson de Rola ...

in an attempt to destroy the sword, after being defeated during the

Battle of Roncesvalles The Battle of Roncevaux Pass ( French and English spelling, '' Roncesvalles'' in Spanish, ''Orreaga'' in Basque) in 778 saw a large force of Basques ambush a part of Charlemagne's army in Roncevaux Pass, a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees on ...

in 778. In a variant of one of the legends associated with

Salto de Roldán Salto de Roldán (English: 'Roland's Leap') is a rock formation about north of Huesca in High Aragon, northern Spain, in the foothills of the central Pyrenees. It lies in the westernmost part of Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park. It consi ...

, a rock formation about north of

Huesca Huesca (; ) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon between 1096 and 1118. It is also the capital of the Spanish Huesca (province), ...

, Roland (), the foremost of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

paladins The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...

, was being hotly pursued by

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

, the Muslim Arab occupiers of Spain. Cornered at Salto de Roldán, he escaped by leaping the chasm on horseback from one of the crags to the other; the horse died in the attempt. Roland continued northward on foot, and smote the Pyrenees with his sword to create Roland's Breach, so that he could see France one last time before he died. The provenance of this myth is unclear as the Cirque du Gavarnie is approximately 150 km East South East from the Roncesvaux Pass where the legend of Roland is based. The gap can be reached from the ''Refugio Sarradets'',"Refugio Serradets o Brecha de Rolando 2587 m."
madteam.net, retrieved 2013-08-20 a nearby mountain shelter, in about an hour's climb.

Gallery

File:Breche de Roland en El Dedo.jpg, Roland's Breach as seen from the peninsular side File:La breche de roland 3.jpg, Roland's Breach, seen from a distance File:Brecha rolando.jpg, Roland's breach with some people passing through File:Vue prise de la brèche de Roland (Pyrénées).JPG, Drawing of Roland's Breach circa 1877

References

External links

"La Brecha de Rolando"
summitpost.org, retrieved 2013-08-20 (in French)
"Taillón (3.144m) por la Brecha de Rolando"
rutaspirineos.org, retrieved 2013-08-20 (in Spanish)
Otras bellas fotos de la brecha de Rolando
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roland's Breach

Breach Breach, Breached, or The Breach may refer to: Places * Breach, Kent, United Kingdom * Breach, West Sussex, United Kingdom * ''The Breach'', Great South Bay in the State of New York People * Breach (DJ), an Electronic/House music act * Mirosla ...

Mountain passes of Aragon Mountain passes of Spain Mountain passes of the Pyrenees Mountain passes of Hautes-Pyrénées France–Spain border crossings Tourist attractions in Hautes-Pyrénées