Pamplona: a house for the capital of the kingdom

The town hall of Pamplona, of which only the façade remains, was the most monumental of those erected in Navarre during the Modern period, something natural if one takes into account its status as the capital of the Old Kingdom. It came to replace the old house of the Jurería, built as a result of the Privilege of the Union (1423), which in the middle of the XVIII century threatened ruin. Its construction lasted seven years (1753-1759), following the designs of Juan Miguel de Goyeneta except for the façade, which was designed by José Zay Lorda and finished with a crowning by the master Juan Lorenzo Catalán.

The rococo design of the facade is of great plasticity, compartmentalized with multiple paired columns on pedestals, gaining great prominence in the balconies -one continuous on the second floor and three separate on the second floor- and its French taste grilles. As for the sculptural decoration, the attic has two statues of Hercules, allusive to civic virtues, and an allegory of fame, escorted by the coats of arms of Pamplona and Navarra, supported by lions. Two allegories of good government, prudence and justice, which have been vandalized on occasion, flank the façade.

Of the interior, only partial photographs of some of its elements have been preserved, especially highlighting its imperial staircase, designed by José Marzal, with rich and theatrical perspectives.