August 8

roundtable marking the 450th anniversary of the Cáseda altarpiece

Ricardo Fernández Gracia
Director of the Chair of Navarrese Heritage and Art

On August 8, the town of Cáseda commemorated the 450th anniversary of the commissioning of the main altarpiece of its parish church, with a series of events that were united by the noble beauty that emanates from the very heart of a town. The events featured a bell-ringing performance by the “ association ” of Campaneros de Navarra, the town’s troupe of giants, bagpipes and shawms from the “Miguel de Arrózpide” ensemble, the organ played by the talented Álvaro Cía, and the Añorbe polyphonic choir, conducted by Iosu Martínez. All of these elements are traditionally associated with the world of festivals and celebrations. In addition, a series of presentations took place as part of a “ roundtable ” to provide context and put the work into perspective. Participants included Sergio Lanas, mayor of the municipality; María Teresa Goyeneche, a historian who authored the “ report ” ( licentiate degree ) on the parish church; Alicia Ancho, director of the Historical Heritage Service at the Príncipe de Viana Institution; Miguel Larrambebere, vicar general of the archdiocese; and the author of this text. This entire ensemble was led by the parish priest, Íñigo Serrano Sagaseta de Ilúrdoz. Each participant briefly discussed the history, context, significance, and responsibility of properly preserving our heritage. The iconographic explanation of the piece will be addressed at a later date, as the town’s city council, together with the Navarre Heritage and Art Foundation ( Chair ), will devote all their efforts to publishing a monograph on the altarpiece, which will be under the position of Prof. Pedro Echeverría.

Among the attendees, who filled the venue to capacity, were local officials: the Cáseda City Council, with council members from across the political spectrum; the mayors of Sangüesa, Liédena, Sada, and Añorbe; and representatives from Eslava and Rocaforte. The audience was filled with a sense of satisfaction at having witnessed something truly exceptional. 

Music, Sculptural Heritage, and Beauty

The unity of the arts became palpable inside the monumental Renaissance church, presided over by the Anchieta altarpiece. The sounds of the shawms and the rich-toned organ stood out, as did the voices of the magnificent Añorbe choir in their performance of one of Eslava’s *Salves*—not the best known, but in no way inferior to those we are more accustomed to hearing. What a remarkable achievement by the Añorbe Choir! This is a town with fewer than a thousand residents, yet they sing with exquisite taste, meticulous intonation, and, most importantly, with great enthusiasm.

The altarpiece in Cáseda deserves every accolade, all the more so because it is one of its creator’s most significant works. Suffice it to say that in 1577, when he began working on it, the great sculptor Juan de Juni had just passed away, and from Valladolid, de Juni had praised Anchieta, considering him the finest artist of his time. In Juni’s will, notarized that year with a view to completing the altarpiece of Santa María de Medina de Rioseco, he stipulated in one of its clauses that the aforementioned work: “be commissioned and entrusted to Juan de Ancheta, a sculptor residing in Vizcaya, who is a highly skilled and capable individual and among the most talented in the entire Kingdom of Castile, to complete and carry on the said work; and that, given its quality—as God has made clear to me—there is no other person in the said art to whom this work can be entrusted except the aforementioned Juan de Anchieta, which I state and declare for the sake of my conscience.” Likewise, shortly after Anchieta finished the altarpiece in Cáseda, the sculptor was summoned to El Escorial to give his opinion on some pieces commissioned for Philip II’s grand “ project ,” the Monastery of El Escorial. 

Julio Valdeón asserts that a town’s history belongs to all its inhabitants and serves as the best guide for knowing where we are headed. If that past is linked to tangible evidence—to cultural assets—the collective consciousness will be much stronger. Losing the references to the past is equivalent to erasing the path and fostering disorientation. Octavio Paz wrote that “architecture is history’s least corruptible witness, ” a statement that can be extended to other cultural assets.

Faustino Menéndez Pidal reminded us that “a people that does not know its past, that is unaware of the paths that led it to where it is and to what it is, is at the mercy of anyone who wishes to present it with a falsified history for sectarian purposes. A firm grounding in history is the most solid foundation for humanity, because it shapes all the “ Structures ” that define one’s place in society. When this foundation is lost, people are left rootless, deprived of the basis for judgment and choice.” 

Involvement with the community and local organizations 

Over the course of several decades, in numerous towns throughout Navarre, we have witnessed how attendees at public outreach events focused on their rich heritage have listened intently to various presentations and left satisfied, rediscovering their past in grand buildings, civil and domestic architecture, and artifacts from all over subject, as well as in “the mystery of things that seem ordinary yet are marvelous” (as Valle Inclán put it). Following “ knowledge ” comes appreciation and decisive action in favor of its preservation. Inviting, encouraging, inspiring, and generating enthusiasm for cultural heritage can be the objectives that complement the aphorism that reminds us: Nihil volitum quin praecognitum (Nothing is desired unless it is first known). In this way, the “ knowledge ” on the part of citizens translates into appreciation and affection for the cultural heritage, serving as the best guarantee for its preservation. Men and women who, without fanfare—because “goodness makes no noise, and noise does no good”—have understood that a person is not important or wise simply by holding a “ position,” but rather that the prudent and wise make the “ position ” great. And when I speak of wisdom, I am not referring to erudition, but rather to that blend of knowledge and morality, of science and “ knowledge,” of “ work ,” and of a life orientation toward what is just, true, and beautiful.

We at the Navarrese Heritage and Art Foundation ( Chair ) are pleased to highlight this partnership featuring individuals and institutions from the town of Cáseda—in many cases openly, in others anonymously—who are working to preserve our heritage so that it may be passed on to future generations as the greatest gift, striving to move beyond fruitless controversies and to invigorate the study, conservation, and dissemination of these works with clarity, depth, and truth. While in the past, city councils and parishes commissioned major artistic works, today is the time for local entities to commit to the preservation of the heritage they have inherited.