25 February 2009

Global Seminars & Invited Speaker Series

STATELY HOMES AND PALACES OF NAVARRA

Armoury corporal palaces, a Navarrese originality

Mr. Juan José Martinena Ruiz
file General of Navarre

In Navarre, the houses of knights were known as palaces, and there are records of them as early as the 13th and 14th centuries. At the end of the 18th century, there were around 300 of them. And within them, as early as the 16th century, there was a distinction, albeit without a legal basis, between those known as "de cabo de armería", considered to be the head of the lineage and the estates of the oldest nobility. Almost all of them were of medieval origin, with the exception of some who achieved this status through donations made to the Crown in times of hardship for the Royal Treasury, an abuse that was denounced by the Cortes in 1695. They were exempt from the payment of barracks and any other taxes, as well as from the payment of host, labour and accommodation of troops. The palace owners had the right to a double share in the communal benefits, including the pastures and waters of other places in the neighbourhood. On an honourable level, they enjoyed pre-eminence in the church: seating and burial in the most distinguished place and preceding the rest of the neighbours in offerings, processions and prayers. Many of them were called to the Cortes of Navarre by the arm of the nobility. By 1780, there were 192 palaces of armoury: 83 in the merindad of Pamplona, 31 in that of Estella, 58 in that of Sangüesa, 14 in that of Olite and 6 in that of Tudela. 

Most of them are still standing today, although in a very uneven state of preservation. Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque examples have been preserved, but it is worth noting, apart from the different styles, the existence of certain prototypes, repeated over time, which in the end have come to constitute the classical physiognomy of the palaces. There are four basic types. The simplest would be the one with a single tower, from which the mixed palace and tower would later emerge. This was followed by subject with two towers, generally with a hipped roof, one on each side of the façade, which gave rise to the more characteristic model . The four towers, one on each corner of the quadrangular plan with a central courtyard, is more typical of fortified manor houses. Lastly, the manor house, with windows and balconies, which corresponds to a more urban model , devoid of any defensive elements.
 

House-tower known as "Dorrea", in Irurita
 

In the region of Baztán-Bidasoa, there are still interesting examples of tower-houses or lineage towers from the 14th and 15th centuries that follow Gothic models. The tower of Lesaca with its crowning of machicolations, or those of Arráyoz and Donamaría, with their characteristic wooden scaffolding, the Dorrea of Irurita, that of Gaztelu in Echalar or the tower-house of Bergara in Arizcun were fortified constructions, but with a residential function. In the merindad of Sangüesa, the palatial towers have a marked defensive character. The one at Ayanz, with its battlements on machicolations, is the most characteristic example, along with those at Echálaz, Liberri and Yárnoz. There is also the one at Uriz, which corresponds to a slightly more residential subject . A beautiful sample palatial tower in which Gothic ornamental elements are superimposed on an earlier defensive construction is offered by the tower at Olcoz. The Celigueta tower sample has four original corner turrets, which end in a truncated cone shape. 

From subject with a tower joined to a residential wing, or if you like, palaces with a single tower, there are those of Equisoain, Ezcay, Larrángoz, Aranguren, Larraya and Elcano.
Among the fortified palaces - some of them could be considered castle-palaces - are those of Arazuri, Artieda, Guenduláin, Echarren de Guirguillano, Salinas de Oro and Eulate. Those of Javier and Marcilla, as well as the now-destroyed castle of Gollano, although they had the status of palaces, were in fact stately castles.
 

Viguria Palace
 

Possibly the most characteristic and most repeated subject is the two towers flanking the main façade. Among the oldest, still Gothic, are those of Olza and Mendillorri, from the end of the 15th century; the Renaissance Barasoain, from around 1540; Urra and Eriete, also from the 16th century, the latter mostly made of brick; from the Baroque period, the 17th and 18th centuries, Azcona, Viguria, Muruzábal, Miranda de Arga, Subiza, Echeverría de Irurita, Reparacea in Oyeregui and Errazu.

Slightly simpler, although not Exempt of stately elegance, is the subject palatial house, without towers, more urban than rural. The 15th century Gothic Torre Blanca de Urroz is one of the oldest examples, as are the palaces of Solchaga and Olóriz. The palace of Gorraiz, with its brick garitones on the corners, dates from the 16th century, and the palaces of Alduncin in Goizueta, Ascoa and Jarola in Elbetea, Riezu and the two in Arbeiza date from the 17th century. In La Ribera, the palatial subject is the large brick house, with large balconies and arched sill under the wide eaves, such as that of the Count of Ablitas in that town or the palace of Monteagudo, of the Marquis of San Adrián, from the 18th century. Oriz, from the 16th century, is another example B, located much further north.