8 February 2012

Global Seminars & Invited Speaker Series

PAMPLONA AND SAN SATURNINO

visit to the parish church and workhouse, now a museum, of San Saturnino

D. Ignacio Miguéliz Valcarlos.
UNED of Pamplona

In addition to the Gothic construction of the church of San Saturnino, there are a series of Baroque additions that modified the medieval church's profile, namely the chapel of the Virgen del Camino, with its corresponding chapel, the sacristy and the outbuildings of the workers' quarters.

All these buildings, which were added to the parish church at patron saintin Pamplona during the third quarter of the 18th century, have their origins in the efforts of the church's workers to enlarge the chapel dedicated to the Virgin in the church. After several projects, in which the most outstanding traziers active at that time in Pamplona took part, the one presented by Juan Antonio San Juan was chosen, which was to build the new chapel on the site occupied by the church cloister. The works, which lasted from 1758 to 1776, were paid for in part thanks to the raffle of the jewels of Nuestra Señora del Camino, the contributions of the Obrería and neighbours of the burgh of San Cernín, and the money sent by the people of Pamplona and Navarre living outside our lands. At first, the chapel was decorated in the rococo style, with coloured paintings imitating marble and jasper, which was completed with mirrors, cornucopias and paintings. However, all this decoration was replaced in 1805 by another, which we see today, of a more sober taste following classicist models. The chapel is adorned with images of San Saturnino, San Fermín, San Honesto and San Francisco Javier located in the pendentives, and two paintings by José Berges, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Epiphany, canvases paid for with 3000 pesos sent by Felipe de Iriarte from Mexico. The chapel is presided over by the main altarpiece, the work of Juan Antonio Andrés, made between 1766 and 1773, which houses the figure of the Virgin of the Way, accompanied by a rich iconography, with the presence of the figures of Saint Anne, Saint Joachim and Saint Joseph, and the four cardinal virtues: Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence and Justice, which are complemented by those of the three theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity, located on the pedestal on which the image of the Virgin rests, in allusion to the virtues that adorn the Mother of God. This is completed by two carvings, the Immaculate Conception and Saint Teresa in ecstasy, sent from Naples.
 

The visitto the parish of San Saturnino began in the chapel of the Virgen del Camino.

Less well known is the dressing room of Our Lady, built at the same time as the rest of the chapel, a space where the Virgin's trousseau, jewellery and ornaments were kept, as well as the figure of the Virgin herself. It is richly decorated with wallpaper with Lauretan litanies, in the rococo taste of the period of construction, panels of rock carvings and cornucopias, which in the averagepart of the chapel have been replaced by a nineteenth-century paper with the anagram of Mary. In this space, two Chinese porcelain tibores sent via the Manila galleon by Felipe de Iriarte stand out, as well as the silver and tortoiseshell crucifix that presides over the altar.

Parallel to the completion of the work on the chapel, the Obrería de San Saturnino, and due to the poor state of the old one, decided to build a new sacristy as well. The work was carried out between 1772 and 1774, according to the designs of José Pérez de Eulate. Richly decorated with wallpaper depicting garlands of rocailles, mirrors and cornucopias, it is more reminiscent of a palatial hall than of a sacred space, having its parallel in the sacristy of the Canons of Pamplona cathedral.
 

A moment of the visitto the parish of San Saturnino, where Professor Ignacio Miguéliz explained the new sacristy.
 

Finally, in the rooms of the Obrería, the chapter of San Saturnino decided in the 90s of the 20th century to set up a small museum conference roomwhere part of the trousseau of silver and ornaments belonging to both the church and the chapel of the Virgin could be displayed in a dignified and appropriate manner. In this way, and in cupboards and display cabinets, part of the trousseau collected by the church throughout its history is displayed.
 

The visitto the parish church of San Saturnino ended at the workhouse, now a museum, where the silver trousseau and ornaments of the church and the chapel of the Virgen del Carmino are on display.