The town of Estella It is located in the central-western area of the Foral Community of Navarra. It is capital of the merindad of the same name and is about forty-four kilometers from Pamplona.
It is also known as «the City of Ega» by the river that bathes it. Likewise, it is a transit point for the Camino de Santiago, specifically, of the stage that goes from the aforementioned Pamplona but also Logroño. This can be seen in its streets, which usually show Jacobean symbols and are full of pilgrims. Next, we are going to explain to you what to see and do in Estella, but first we want to tell you his story.
Brief history of Estella
Remains of the Main Castle of Estella with its cross
The founding of Estella was due to Sancho ramirez, king of Aragon and Pamplona, in the year 1090. Already in the XNUMXth century, some of the main buildings of the town were built, which means that today it is considered capital of the Navarrese Romanesque. During the Middle Ages it had great economic strength and, once converted into a city, it passed into Castilian hands in 1512.
This gave rise to a new period of prosperity for Estella that lasted until the 19th century. This was difficult due to its strategic location in the War of independence and, above all, in the Carlist Wars. During these, the pretenders to the throne established their royal court in the city.
Already at the beginning of the 20th century, Estella had almost six thousand inhabitants and was the third most important town in Navarra, after Pamplona and Tudela. Since then, it has managed to maintain its economic and social strength within the Autonomous Community.
What to see in Estella
Estella Town Hall
Once we have reviewed the history of this beautiful town in Navarra, we are going to focus on the monuments and other places of interest that it offers. Symbols of its history and economic prosperity are the remains of its Major Castle, also called Zalatambor, which was one of the fortresses of the town next to Belmecher's, and the old medieval jewry.
As for the first, it dates back to the 11th century, although three phases have been observed in the construction of the complex. In addition to the one mentioned, the second would be dated to the end of the 12th century and the third between the 13th and 15th centuries, when it was demolished. Likewise, today crowns the remains a cross visible from afar. But the Navarrese town has many other monuments. Let's discover them.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher and other temples
The spectacular church of the Holy Sepulcher
Located on the current Curtidores street, the church of the holy sepulcher It was built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Therefore, it combines Romanesque elements with other Gothic ones. Its impressive façade belongs to this last style, with its flared arch and sculptural decoration.
Also impressive is the church of San Pedro de la Rúa, which dominates the city from a height. It was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. To the first belongs its beautiful cloister, considered one of the best sculptural groups of the Navarrese Romanesque. Likewise, its portico, with lobed arches, and its imposing tower are spectacular. Likewise, inside, you should look at the Baroque chapel of Saint Andrew, which houses the image of the city's patron saint.
For its part, the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel It dates from the same period as the previous ones, although it received additions later. For this reason, its grandiose appearance combines a medieval tower with a baroque one. However, its most notable part is the north portico, which also has a magnificent late Romanesque sculpture group.
No less spectacular is the convent of Santo Domingo, built in the 13th century by order of Tybalt II of Navarre. It also dominates the city from a hill and responds to the Gothic canons, at least in the part that is preserved, composed of the church and one of the monastery bodies.
Instead, the Basilica of the Puy It was built in the 20th century on the remains of another previous baroque one. It is a neo-Gothic building that houses the image of the Virgin of Puy, in turn, patron saint of the town. Finally, other temples such as the churches of Santa María Jus del Castillo, San Juan Bautista, San Pedro de Lizarra and Nuestra Señora de Rocamador complete the religious heritage of Estella.
Estella palacial: the palace of the Kings of Navarra and others
Facade of the Palace of the Kings of Navarra
Declared a National Monument in 1931, you will find the Palace of the Kings of Navarra in the beautiful Plaza de San Martín. It was built in the 12th century and is one of the few examples of civil Romanesque in that autonomous community. The main façade stands out in the complex, which is distributed in three sections. The lower one has several semicircular arches, while the upper one has small windows separated by columns. Two towers crown the complex.
Furthermore, since it was restored in 1975, it houses the museum dedicated to the painter Gustavo de Maeztu, one of the most prominent of what was called the Basque School. But, above all, look at the historic capitals of the columns at the ends, which recreate the fight between Roland and the giant Ferragut.
On the other hand, this is not the only palace you can see in Estella. In fact, stately homes abound in the town. Among the many that it has, we will mention the beautiful Eguía palace, built in the 16th century following Renaissance canons. On its façade, the large heraldic shield of the owner family stands out, as well as the exposed stone on the ground floor.
You should also see the courthouse, which is baroque from the first half of the 18th century and stands out for its rich decoration. In its time, it housed the Town Hall, but now it is the headquarters of the court. Finally, the friar Diego's house Today it is a cultural center and the governor's palace It has become the Carlism Museum. We will talk to you about this later, but we also advise you to see the stately mansion of the Ruiz de Alda family. It was built, like the previous one, in the 17th century.
The Cárcel bridge and the green areas of Estella
The historic Prison Bridge
Also known, due to its appearance, as a peaked bridge, it crosses the Esga river to connect the old town of Estella with the neighborhood of Saint Peter of the Rua. The original dated from the 12th century, although it was rebuilt in the 16th century. Also, during the Third Carlist War It was partially destroyed so it had to be rebuilt respecting the previous model.
On the other hand, the Navarrese town also has beautiful green areas. Surrounds her Urbasa Andia Natural Park, where you can take wonderful hiking and mountain biking routes. But, in the city itself, you have the Llanos park, a true lung thanks to its elms, poplars, poplars, maples, ashes and walnut trees.
Finally, another of the tours that you can take through the nature of Estella is the one offered by the Greenway of the old Vasco Railway. This old narrow gauge line linked the Guipuzcoan town of Vergara with Estella and stopped operating in 1967. Since then, the land has been used to create several sections of greenway. As for the town in question, you have a route that connects it with Zubielqui.
Carlism Museum and other cultural spaces
Governor's Palace, headquarters of the Carlism Museum
We have already mentioned the importance that Estella had for the Carlist movement. It is, therefore, not surprising that the city has a museum dedicated to him. In it governor's palace You can better understand this ideological current that was born in 1833 as an aspirant to the throne of Spain and that ran through the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.
We have also already talked to you about Gustavo de Maeztu Museum. But one of the most curious artistic displays in the town is the one you will find in the park of the unveiled. These are several large skulls made by the sculptor Luis García Vidal.
How to get to Estella and when it is best to visit it
A street in the historic center of Estella
We have already told you that Estella is located about forty-four kilometers from Pamplona. From the capital you have bus lines that connect both locations. But, if you want to get around in your own car, you should know that the main road is the so-called Camino Highway (A-12), which connects it, precisely, with Pamplona and also with Logroño.
On the other hand, if you travel from San Sebastián, it is better to use the N-120, while, if you do it from Vitoria, you should use the N-132-A. However, there is no railway line and the nearest airport is that of Noáin-Pamplona.
On the other hand, the best time to visit Estella is summer, as well as the months of May and October. The Navarrese town has a Mediterranean type climate, with cold winters and warm summers. Its average annual temperature is 13 degrees Celsius and its precipitation is 570 mm annually. On the other hand, the average temperatures in summer are around twenty degrees and it hardly rains. Therefore, summer is, as we told you, the best time to get to know the historic Navarrese town.
In conclusion, we have shown you the main thing you can see and do in Estella. But we do not want to end without advising you that, if you approach Navarre, also visit other beautiful towns in the autonomous community as love u olite. And we also want to recommend that you try the delicious gastronomy of the area. Dare to discover all these wonders.