Monumental sculpture: the façade

Depending on their location within the church, a distinction can be made between the interior and exterior monumental sculptures. Among the former, the keystones that crown the vaults of the chapels are particularly noteworthy, as they allude to the chapels’ former patron saints: Saint George (Chapel of the Souls), the Savior (Chapel of the Trinity), the Martyrdom of Saint Saturninus (Main Chapel), the Doubt of Saint Thomas (Chapel of the Immaculate Conception), and Saint Catherine (Chapel of Saint Anthony).

The second, for its part, consists solely of the main façade, which opens to the north and has been protected since the 16th century by a late-Gothic atrium covered with tercelet vaults. The structure is shaped like a pointed arch with six archivolts that rest on either side on an equal number of columns with capitals and an exterior cornice. The sculptural decoration extends across the capitals, the tympanum, the corbels supporting it, and the reliefs located at the bases and top of the cornice, as well as the figures in the keystones of the archivolts. Added to this are the two monumental sculptures of Saint Saturninus and Saint James, which were once part of the portal and now flank the entrance to the atrium. 

Iconographically, the entire sculptural program revolves around the “ topic ” of the Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ. The center of it all is located in the tympanum, which—divided into two registers—is dedicated to the Last Judgment. In the upper register, a Christ of the Wounds is flanked by Mary and Saint John as intercessors, and at the very top are two angels holding some of the “Arma Christi.” At the ends of the composition are a cruciferous angel with a trumpet and a kneeling figure, perhaps the donor. In the lower register, beneath a gallery of arches, are depicted the Resurrection of the Dead and the blessed and the damned, the latter represented in a cauldron over a fire stoked by demons. 

The capitals, for their part, depict a “ summary ” (Stations of the Cross) from the life of Christ. Thus, the capitals on the left recount his childhood, beginning with the lower relief located beneath the base of the cornice: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the “ advertisement ” to the shepherds, “ presentation ” in the temple, the Massacre of the Innocents, the “ meeting ” of the Magi with Herod, the Flight into Egypt, and the Adoration of the Magi. The story of Jesus culminates with his Passion and Glorification on the capitals on the right: entrance in Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Descent from the Cross, visit of the three Marys at the tomb, the Apparition to Mary Magdalene, and the Descent into Limbo—the latter depicted in the relief located beneath the right base of the lintel. The Crucifixion does not appear among the capitals, as it is positioned at the top of the portal. Finally, the keystones of the archivolts conclude the narrative with the glorification final of Christ: the Risen Christ, the Trinity, and God the Father enthroned.

The quality of the façade is uneven, which suggests the involvement of different master sculptors; however, they all worked on the cloister of Pamplona Cathedral, as evidenced by the stylistic and iconographic influences evident in this façade. Thus, Fernández-Ladreda identifies Master Guillermo Inglés as the probable creator of the full-relief sculptures of Saint Saturninus and Saint James, which are the most outstanding pieces in the entire portal ensemble, datable to around 1330 and 1340.