aula_abierta_itinerarios_47_titulo

The Parish of San Saturnino in Pamplona: The Diocese's First Mitre

aula_abierta_itinerarios_47_8_texto

Examples of Outstanding Goldsmithing

The parish preserves numerous pieces of gold and silverwork from various periods for use in worship. Two stand out from the medieval period: the reliquary arm of Saint Saturninus and the parish cross. The first piece, crafted in silver and translucent enamel in 1389, is particularly notable for its octagonal base, which features the coat of arms of the House of Evreux, the greyhound and eagle of Charles II and Charles III, the coat of arms of the town of San Cernin, and that of Martín de Zalba, Bishop of Pamplona. On that same base, beneath ogee arches, scenes from the life and martyrdom of Saint Saturninus are depicted. Complementing this exceptional reliquary is the parish cross, crafted in the first third of the 16th century in a style that is still Gothic, though with extensive Baroque-era alterations. It is a cross with four-lobed ends and two candlesticks supporting images of the Virgin Mary and Saint John, making this cross a portable Calvary. The cross features rich iconography, with the Evangelists and the Church Fathers depicted at the ends of its arms and Saint Saturninus in the central panel. The finial, adorned with abundant openwork, small canopies, and Gothic pinnacles, features depictions of Saint Paul and Saint John, Saint Thomas and Saint James, a holy bishop with Saint Catherine, Saint Andrew, and Saint Saturninus.

As for the Baroque period, it is worth mentioning the large Bolivian monstrance crafted in workshops in Potosí around 1745; from its “ registration ” we know that it belonged to the parish priest of San Saturnino, Don Melchor Irisarri. The monstrance, made of silver gilded with gold, features a square base and a shaft composed of various cylindrical sections and plates with cut-out designs; the lower section stands out with depictions of the evangelists between Solomonic columns. The monstrance is crowned by an imposing sun whose rays are composed of geometric and vegetal openwork and are surrounded by stars and cherub heads. Alongside this monstrance, we also find another Baroque piece of American origin. It is a gilded silver chalice crafted in Mexico in the late 17th century. It stands out for its characteristic cup, with the lower third decorated with freestanding vegetal bands. 

aula_abierta_itinerarios_47_8_imagenes


Reliquary of Saint Saturninus, 1389 and later. Photo: José Luis Larrión.


CMexican chalice, 1690–1700. Photo: José Luis Larrión.

aula_abierta_itinerarios_47_bibliografia

ALBIZU AND SAINZ DE MURIETA, J., San Cernin: A Historical and Artistic review on of the Parish Church of San Saturnino in Pamplona, Pamplona, publishing house Aramburu, 1930.

ANDUEZA PÉREZ, A., Art in the Service of Liturgical Splendor: Embroidery and Sacred Vestments in Navarre, 16th–18th Centuries, Pamplona, Government of Navarre, 2017.

ARANDA RUIZ, A., *Pampilona urbs regia: The Ceremonial Traditions of the Pamplona City Council from the 16th Century to the Present*, Pamplona: Pamplona City Council, 2020.

FERNÁNDEZ GRACIA, R., “Voting Urns of the Brotherhood of Oculi Mei,”in FERNÁNDEZ GRACIA, R. (ed.), Pamplona and San Cernin: The 400th Anniversary of the City’s Vow, Pamplona: Pamplona City Council, 2011, pp. 21–29. 

HEREDIA MORENO, M.C., and ORBE SIVATTE, M., *Orfebrería de Navarra*, vol. 1, Pamplona: Caja de Ahorros de Navarra, 1986. 

HEREDIA MORENO, M.C., and ORBE SIVATTE, M., *Orfebrería de Navarra*, vol. 2, Pamplona: Caja de Ahorros de Navarra, 1988. 

HEREDIA MORENO, M.C., ORBE SIVATTE, M., and ORBE SIVATTE, A., *Hispanic American Art in Navarre: Silver, Painting, and Sculpture*, Pamplona: Government of Navarre, 1992. 

JIMENO ARANGUREN, R., “Saint Saturninus of Toulouse and the Christianization of Pamplona: The Origins of the Legend and Its Evolution Through 1611,” in FERNÁNDEZ GRACIA, R. (ed.), Pamplona and Saint Cernin. 4th Centennial of the City’s Vow, Pamplona, Pamplona City Council, 2011, pp. 21–29. 

MARTINENA RUIZ, J.J., “The Five Parishes of Old Pamplona,” Temas de Cultura Popular, no. 318. 

MARTINENA RUIZ, J.J., “The Solemn Ceremonial of the Provincial Council of Navarre in Religious Ceremonies,” in HUICI GOÑI, M.P., MARTINENA RUIZ, J.J., and SAGASETA ARÍZTEGUI, A., The Anthem of Navarre, Pamplona: Government of Navarre. department Office of the Presidency, 1987, pp. 29–81.

MARTÍNEZ ÁLAVA, C.J. and FERNÁNDEZ-LADREDA AGUADÉ, C., “The Gothic Church of San Saturnino in Pamplona: Architecture and Sculpture,” in FERNÁNDEZ GRACIA, R. (ed.), Pamplona and San Cernin. 400th Anniversary of the City’s Vow, Pamplona, Pamplona City Council, 2011, pp. 41–49. 

RODÉS SERRALBO, T., Altarpiece Workshops and Sacred and Contemporary Religious Art in Pamplona and Its Surrounding Area (1890–2018), Pamplona/Seville, EUNSA/ publishing house , University of Seville, 2021.

Various Authors, *La Virgen del Camino de Pamplona*, Pamplona: Mutua de Seguros de Pamplona, 1987.