Page 158 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

156  NOR THERN SP AIN REGION B Y REGION

8 Pamplona (Iruña) by a symbolic statue of a
woman upholding the historic
In 75 BC, the Roman general Pompey founded the town of laws (fueros) of Navarra.
Pompaelo on the site of the old Basque settle ment of Iruña.
Strategically located on the river at the foot of the Pyrenees, P Plaza del Castillo
Pamplona played the role of a fortified border town. Today, it The square owes its name
to a castle raised here in the
is the financial, commercial and academic centre of Navarra, 14th century. Initially used as
offering visitors fine cuisine and pleasant walks along the a marketplace and place for
riverside or through the Old Town. Each July, the world- fiestas, it later became a venue
famous San Fermín festival, with its bull running, totally for bullfights, when the
transforms the city. balconies of the surrounding
houses were used as seating
areas. Until the 19th century,
Exploring Pamplona yellowed by the sun, and its the square was enclosed. In
To fully appreciate its charms, moats have long been empty – 1931, a theatre along one of its
Pamplona, with its parks and but once you pass through the sides was destroyed to make
wide avenues, is best explored main entrance, the impres sion is way for Avenida Carlos III,
on foot. From the old city walls very different. Encircling the an avenue linking the square
– situated to the north in a well­kept lawn are the citadel’s with the city’s new districts.
loop of the Arga river – you former buildings, now converted
can get a good overview. into exhibition rooms. The oldest
Going south, the Old Town structure is the powder magazine
ends at a massive citadel. (Polvorín), dating from 1694.
You can climb up the embank­
ment onto one of the surviving
bastions for a view of the area.
P Palacio de Navarra
Avenida Carlos III 2; 848 42 71 27.
Open To large groups only (not indi­
viduals), by prior arrangement. 7
This Neo­Classical palace,
designed in 1840 by Juan de The colourful façade of one of the
Nagusia, is the seat of the city’s tenements
provincial government. Set in
the tympanum is the Navarra R Iglesia San Saturnino
coat of arms flanked by two Also known as Iglesia de San
The walls of the city’s 16th-century citadel, men – a highlander and an Cernín, this Romanesque
among parks and gardens inhabitant of the river basin. church (13th century) was built
Inside is a portrait of Fernando on the site where St Saturninus
+ Ciudadela VII by Goya, as well as many is said to have baptized some
Felipe II ordered the construc tion other paintings – mostly 40,000 pagan townspeople.
of Pamplona’s citadel in 1571. portraits – from the 19th and One of its massive towers is
From the outside, the building 20th centuries. In front of the a clock tower, topped by a
looks rather decrepit – grass is palace stands a column topped cockerel – the Gallico de San
Cernín, a symbol of the city. In
the 18th century, the church’s
The Kingdom of Navarra
cloister was replaced by the
Navarra emerged as an independent Christian kingdom in the 9th Baroque Capilla della Virgen del
century, after Sancho I Garcés became king of Pamplona. Sancho III Camino. Its beautiful reredos
the Great expanded the kingdom, and at his death, in contains a 12th­century
1035, Navarra stretched from Ribagorza (in Aragón) to wooden robed figure of the
Valladolid, but his heirs failed to hold the kingdom Virgin, covered in silver tiles.
together. Sancho VI the Wise (1150–
94), recognized the independent E Museo de Navarra
rights (fueros) of many towns. C/Santo Domingo 47; 848 42 64 92.
In 1234, Navarra passed by Open 9:30am–2pm & 5–7pm
marriage to French rulers. In 1512, Tue–Sat, 11am–2pm Sun and
Fernando II of Castile annexed holidays. & (free Sat pm & Sun).
it as part of a united Spain. 8 by prior arrangement. 7
Carlos de Viana, one of the last leaders The Museum of Navarra is
of independent Navarra located inside the former
Hospital de Nuestra Señora
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–7 and pp221–2

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