Students from the " School of Humanities and Social Sciences " visit the Pamplona Municipal " file " to learn about the hieroglyphs from the royal funerals

Students in the “Renaissance, Baroque, and Enlightenment in Europe” course ( subject ), offered as part of the interdisciplinary programs( Degrees ) in History; History and Diploma in Archaeology; History and Journalism; and International Relations and History, took a visit to the Municipal file of Pamplona. Accompanied by Professor Javier Azanza, they had the opportunity to see firsthand the exceptional collection of hieroglyphs created for the royal funeral ceremonies held at Pamplona Cathedral throughout the 18th century.

During the event, Professor Azanza explained the nature and significance of these compositions, conceived as true visual puzzles intended to ensure the posthumous salvation ( report ) of deceased monarchs. Created in the form of large panels, these elements were incorporated into the burial mound or funeral catafalque—a monumental structure consisting of several tiered sections erected in the cathedral’s Wayside Cross , which served as the visual and symbolic center of the ceremonies.

The series of compositions conveyed a message that began with an expression of the grief felt by the subjects of Pamplona and Navarre at the loss of their sovereign, continued with a reflection on the universality of death, and concluded with the idea of triumph over death thanks to the virtues of the deceased king or queen, which not only guaranteed them eternal life but also made them model of conduct for their subjects. The royal funerals also emphasized dynastic continuity, a guarantee of the monarchy’s stability. From a formal standpoint, the hieroglyphs followed the “ model ” of the triplex emblem popularized by Alciato, consisting of a Latin motto or slogan, an allegorical image (pictura), and a poetic epigram ( Spanish).

The Pamplona Municipal “ file ” preserves nearly a hundred of these hieroglyphs, which date from the funerals of Philip V (1746), Barbara of Braganza (1758), Isabella of Farnese (1766), and Charles III (1789). Studying them offers a unique opportunity to explore examples of ephemeral Baroque art, as “the collection of Pamplona’s hieroglyphs represents a truly exceptional body of work and one of the great treasures of Navarre’s archival and documentary heritage,” notes Professor Azanza.

The book * visit * allowed students to delve deeper into these texts and discover how, through the combination of text and image, the funeral ceremonies of the Ancien Régime articulated complex discourses on death to construct the royal * report * and legitimize the monarchy.