High altarpiece of the parish church of Uztárroz

Studied by Professor García Gainza, it is the work of the Sangüesa masters Juan de Berroeta and Juan de Huici. The latter, an assembler and architect from Lumbier, carried out an intense artistic activity in Navarre from Tudela to Ituren, and his projects reached as far as Guipúzcoa, where he made the Oyarzun altarpiece. He maintained a close and continuous relationship with the Sangüesa sculptor Juan de Berroeta at partnership , which resulted in the altarpieces of Tabar, Sada, Liédena, San Pedro de Gallipienzo and the present one in Ustárroz. The aforementioned Juan de Berroeta was a sculptor from Sangüesa, whose activity is documented over half a century (1589-1639). He trained alongside his father-in-law, Nicolás de Berástegui, also a sculptor who produced works in Aragon and Navarre, collaborating on numerous occasions with the sculptor Juan de Alli and the assembler Juan de Echenagusia. The last phase of his activity coincides with that of partnership with the aforementioned Juan de Huici, which can be seen in the altarpieces of Liédena, Sada and Uztárroz.

The gilding of the Uztárroz altarpiece was carried out by the prolific master Juan Andrés de Armendáriz, who in 1669 had it appraised by Juan de las Heras and Pedro Bariain, who estimated it at 61,500 reales. Juan Andrés de Armendáriz (1619-1681), son of a painter, has documented gilding work on numerous altarpieces in the capital of Navarre and in numerous towns in the surrounding area. As an easel painter, he is only known for the canvas painted at the request of the city of Pamplona in 1657 to commemorate the co-patronage of San Fermín and San Francisco Javier over the Kingdom of Navarre, which is kept in Pamplona City Hall.

The Uztárroz (Roncal) altarpiece would have been finished by 1635, the year in which Berroeta and Huici appear as creditors of two thousand ducats in the parish's first-prize income. Adapted in plan to the chancel of the church, it stands out for the monumentality of its architecture, made up of a bench, two sections and a top, structured by columns with fluted and grooved shafts and superimposed Ionic and Corinthian orders. The geometric decoration is abundant, based on coffered ceilings, pearls alternating with rosettes and non-naturalistic foliage. To this must be added the multiplication of mouldings on boxes and pediments, thus achieving an early Baroque ornamental profusion. Also typical of this period is the scarcity of reliefs, practically reduced to the bench, in favour of the sculpture in bulk, which takes centre stage, occupying the compartments of the entire altarpiece. The figures of St. Andrew, St. Roch and St. Peter stand out, with their large volumes and expressive heads.

The iconographic programme is dense. On the bench we find the reliefs of Saint Stephen, entrance of Christ in Jerusalem, Saint Mark, the Arrest, Saint John, Saint Matthew, the Adulteress, Saint Lawrence, the Resurrection of Lazarus and Saint Luke. The images occupy the rest of the altarpiece. In the first section there is a succession of images: San Sebastián, San Pedro, San Andrés and San Roque; in the second, San Miguel, Santa Lucía, the titular Santa Engracia, Santa Bárbara and San Nicolás and in the attic San Antón and San Urbicio on both sides of the Calvary.

We cannot fail to highlight the two large coats of arms that crown the interlacing, particularly that of the Spanish monarchy, which integrates the arms of Navarre in the centre, following the custom after the conquest and incorporation of Navarre into Castile. In fact, the execution of the royal coat of arms was a reason for confrontation between the parties over the cost of the altarpiece.