August 26

Santesteban de la Solana, a valley waiting to be discovered: Arróniz, Luquin, Barbarin

José Javier Azanza López
Navarre Heritage and Art Foundation (Chair )
University of Navarra

Attendees at the lecture

The parishes and shrines of Arróniz, Luquin, and Barbarin—towns located in the Santesteban de la Solana Valley within the Merindad of Estella—offer a journey through their architecture, altarpieces, and paintings that traces a significant part of Navarrese art history, spanning from the 13th-century Gothic period to 19th-century Academicism. They also tell a less visible but equally important story: that of the people behind these works—those who funded their creation from their hometowns, from Madrid, or from the American viceroyalties; who offered a statue in gratitude for a healing; or who kept the memory of their patron saints and protective Virgins alive from generation to generation. In this sense, the artistic heritage of these three towns goes beyond the material “ bequest ” of their artists and becomes a testament to the faith and devotion of their inhabitants. Since the “ lecture ” was taught in Arróniz, its parish church of San Salvador and the Basilica of Mendía were the main subjects of discussion, with occasional references to Luquin and Barbarin, which may be the focus of specific sessions on another occasion.

Arróniz. Parish Church of San Salvador. Interior and main altarpiece. Photo: José Javier Azanza.

In the urban “ profile ” of Arróniz, two buildings stand out that offer insight into much of the town’s artistic and religious history: the parish church of San Salvador, which overlooks the village with its tower reaching toward the sky, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Mendía, situated in a prime location on one of the hills surrounding the town. Although different in origin and function, both are deeply rooted in the town, and its residents have enriched them over the centuries.

The parish church of San Salvador is a building whose construction spanned from the first half of the 13th century to the 19th century. Its solid ashlar masonry preserves, at the base, part of the original medieval Proto-Gothic church, while the fundamental layout of the nave reflects the Late Gothic alterations of the early 16th century, with sections covered by ribbed vaults with straight ribs. The church underwent its most significant transformation during the first half of the 18th century, with the Baroque renovation of the main altar ( Wayside Cross), the side chapels, and the main sacristy, carried out by Martín Hermoso de Mendoza and José Raón. Notable features in this space include the central “ average ” (chapel of the Holy Spirit) with its orange-hued dome resting on pendentives depicting the four Fathers of the Latin Church—St. Jerome, St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, and St. Ambrose—as well as the plasterwork decoration featuring plant motifs, fallen leaves, and cherubs. This construction process culminated in the early 19th century with the tower and main façade designed by Pedro Nolasco Ventura in a classicist style characterized by the “ employment ” of the architectural orders, geometric clarity, and ornamental restraint; in the case of the tower, this marked the culmination of an “ model ” (classical revival) style also found in other towns such as Mendavia and Torres del Río.

Arróniz. Parish Church of San Salvador. Tower and façade. Photo: José Javier Azanza.

This architectural tour of San Salvador finds a parallel in its altarpieces, ranging from late 16th-century Romanism to the Rococo style of the second half of the 18th century. The altarpiece of Santa Catalina, created around 1580 by Pedro Gabiria I, exemplifies Navarrese Romanism, with an orderly composition featuring a bench, two sections, and three panels that depict scenes from the saint’s life, such as her prayer in the face of the destruction of pagan idols and her beheading, as well as the titular image with her characteristic attributes—the wheel, the sword, and Emperor Maxentius at her feet—accompanied by Saint Blaise and Saint Roch.

Added to this early period is the altarpiece of Saint Mary Magdalene, dating from the transition to the Baroque period, with a “ position ” (three-part) composition by Miguel López de Ganuza and Domingo de Lusa. It features an iconographic program that includes scenes from the life of Mary Magdalene: her washing Christ’s feet, listening to him preach in the temple, her retreat into the desert, her being comforted by angels, and her death. Added to this is a unique cycle dedicated to the Prodigal Son on the pew, in which three consecutive scenes depict the division of the inheritance, the bad company with whom he squandered his fortune, and his repentance and return to his father’s home. Wine, a fundamental element in the “ Economics ” of local society, appears here associated with excess and a dissolute lifestyle, and the presence of everyday objects and situations transforms the profane into an instrument of moral “ teaching ,” highlighting the narrative power of Baroque sculpture.

Arróniz. Parish of San Salvador. Altarpiece of Saint Mary Magdalene. The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Photo: José Javier Azanza.

The grand main altarpiece is the centerpiece of the complex. Work on it began in 1671, based on the designs of Friar Francisco de Jesús María, a Discalced Carmelite from the convent in Pamplona, and continued until the mid-18th century. Associated with the early Navarrese Baroque style and related to the altarpieces at Los Arcos and Viana, its trough-shaped layout adapts to the polygonal apse and forms a single section comprising three bays and a curved attic, which was later embellished with plant motifs. The sculpture by Bartolomé Calvo combines episodes from the Passion and depictions of saints with the Immaculate Conception, a work of Castilian origin that faithfully follows the “ model ” style established by Gregorio Fernández.

The process of altarpiece renewal continued in the 18th century with the Rosary Altarpiece, which is a characteristic example of the Navarrese Baroque style. It features images from various periods, such as the Virgin of the Rosary—a Romanist work from the early 17th century—and a Savior from the first third of the 16th century that retains features of the Gothic tradition. Also featured is Saint Anthony, attributed to Pedro Gabiria I, accompanied by the attributes that symbolize his life and his role as a protector. Finally, the altarpiece of the Virgin of El Pilar, completed in 1774 by Ramón de Villodas, fully embraces the Rococo style, with an elegant mixed-line layout and rocaille decoration. The collection of altarpieces at San Salvador thus allows us to trace the evolution of Navarrese altarpiece art from the Romanesque period to Rococo forms.

Arróniz. Basilica of Our Lady of Mendía. Main entrance. Photo: José Javier Azanza.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Mendía tells a different story from that of the parish church, one centered on Marian devotion, which has been deeply rooted in Tierra Estella since the 12th century, as evidenced by the presence of shrines and hermitages dedicated to the Virgin—devotions often accompanied by legendary tales and miraculous apparitions of images. Regardless of the historical accuracy of these traditions, what matters is that they reflect the long history of the cult and Mary’s protection of her faithful.

The documented history of Mendía begins in the mid-17th century, when, in 1655, a “ licence ” was granted to construct a modestly sized building. In 1685, Bernardo de Nagusia, a native of Arróniz and resident of Madrid, donated 200 ducats toward the construction, which made it possible to expand the church to include a nave, apse, and sacristy. The monumental Baroque façade from the early 18th century was made possible thanks to the “ bequest ” (donation for the construction of the church) from Lorenzo Hermoso de Mendoza, Perpetual Councilman and Chief Justice of Caracas, whose family roots were in Arróniz and Sesma, who contributed a significant sum to the sanctuary. Construction began in 1701 based on plans by Vicente de Frías and carried out by Francisco de Ibarra and Francisco de Sarasúa. The façade is structured around four large free-standing columns of the composite order, a broken entablature, and an attic featuring a stone statue of the Virgin and Child created by Francisco Barona.

Arróniz. Basilica of Our Lady of Mendía. Main altarpiece and the Virgin of Mendía. Photo: José Javier Azanza.

The interior sample consists of a single nave separated from the presbytery by a large Baroque wrought-iron grille. The main altarpiece is also Baroque, dating from around 1700, and features scenes of the Visitation and the Annunciation, crowned by Saint Michael. The patron image of the Virgin of Mendía is the devotional centerpiece of the sanctuary. It is a seated sculpture with the Child that can be dated to the 13th century, although it was altered during the Baroque period to turn it into a dressed image. It was later restored in 1951 with a neo-Gothic silver plating, a process that concealed the damage caused by previous alterations and for which the town’s residents donated their jewelry.

Mendía’s collection is rounded out by two important paintings of Castilian origin, linked to donations made by Bernardo and Domingo de Nagusia from Madrid. They depict the Immaculate Conception surrounded by angels and Christ dressed as a Jesuit— subject n iconographic motif that spread throughout the 17th century from Valladolid, originating from the vision of the Venerable Marina de Escobar; the painter Diego Valentín Díaz is the creator of a significant portion of these works. Both canvases, with symmetrical compositions, halos of glory, and their corresponding inscriptions, are set within large Baroque frames designed almost like small altarpieces.

Arróniz. Basilica of Our Lady of Mendía. Paintings depicting Christ dressed as a Jesuit and the Immaculate Conception. Photo: José Javier Azanza.

Finally, the votive offerings preserved in the basilica offer a direct glimpse into everyday religiosity, conceived not as works of art but as images of report. The votive offerings from 1749 and 1772—featuring, respectively, the physician Agustín de Zeaurrote, who was cured of a serious illness, and the child Miguel de Arviza, who was healed of smallpox and offered by his parents to Our Lady of Mendía—show how painting became a vis report on of the graces attributed to the Virgin. Added to these is the votive offering by Gregorio Barbarin from 1752 (in a private collection), which commemorates his survival after being buried by collapsing walls. These accounts make Mendía a place inextricably linked to the religious devotion of the residents of Arróniz.

Arróniz. Basilica of Our Lady of Mendía. Votive offerings by Agustín de Zeaurrote and Miguel de Arviza. Photo: José Javier Azanza.