Discover Pamplona: the history and architecture of the fortified city
Everyone who talks about Pamplona talks about bulls and bullfighting. But that is only the smallest part of the city’s history. Pamplona is a fortified city, much of which can still be seen in the cityscape today.
The importance of the fortifications
The fortifications of the capital of Navarre are among the best preserved in Europe. They date back to the Renaissance and still tell the story of the city today. The original fortress walls run around the old town. If you want to walk around them, it is about 5 kilometers on foot. Some areas are no longer there, others can only be vaguely guessed at and others are clearly visible in the city.
On the walls of the fortress city
It is definitely worth taking a walk around Pamplona’s fortress city, as many areas have now been transformed into beautiful green spaces.
Through the Portal de la Taconera we reach the remains of the Taconera bastion. Here, the former fortress moat has been transformed into a small lake landscape, for example, which is very good for the city’s climate.
You can sit there under shady trees and there is even an area for animals at one point. I particularly liked the area directly on the steep slope above the river. You have a very nice view from there!
There is even a great viewpoint of the fortress city from time to time. It was only there that I really realized how densely built up the small mountain is and how high the old town is above the newer parts of the city.
In Pamplona’s fortified city, two areas are particularly worth seeing, the citadel and the San Bartolomé Fort.
The citadel of Pamplona
The complex is located on the south-eastern edge of the city center on Avenida de Ejército. It can be easily reached on foot from the city center. The citadel of Pamplona is also known as the “Ciudadela”. It was built in the 16th century and is a well-preserved example of Spanish Renaissance military architecture.
Pamplona was strategically located on the border with France, which made it a potential target for invasions. The Spanish King Philip II had the complex designed by the Italian military engineer Giacomo Palearo. It was intended to serve as a bulwark against enemy troops and secure control of the region.
Construction began in 1571. Palearo was a renowned architect of his time and known for his expertise in fortress construction. He had previously redesigned the castle of Santa Bárbara in Valencia. He chose the pentagonal star shape, which made it possible to effectively fend off attacks from all directions. He used the citadel of Antwerp as a model for this. The points of the star form the five bastions: San Antón, el Real, Santa María, Santiago and la Victoria. This construction method allowed for optimal defense, as it had no blind spots and offered the defenders a comprehensive overview of the surrounding terrain. The fortress of Pamplona is surrounded by a stone wall and an embankment, which are also well preserved. These structures provided additional protection.
The fortress was completed in 1646 according to the latest findings and was now also intended to provide protection against longer-range cannons. In the same year, King Philip IV visited the fortress. In his honor, the coats of arms of the king and two generous patrons were placed above the main gate. There is also an inscription indicating when the building was constructed.
Just a few years later, the decision was made to reinforce the outer ravelins. They bear the names of several saints. In the first half of the 18th century, the builders additionally reinforced the fortress with Vaubans. In the 18th century, three small fortresses were added to the city fortifications: Bartolomé, San Roque and El Príncipe. Of these, only the small fortress of Bartolomé remains today. The two northern ones (San Antón and La Victoria) had to be demolished when the city was expanded in 1888 and are no longer clearly visible in the cityscape today.
The city’s defenses offered protection that proved to be effective. In the course of its military use, Pamplona was never taken by storm. Only once, under Napoleon’s command, was the fortress taken. I find it particularly amusing how the French succeeded. After a snowy period, they started a snowball fight with the guards of the fortress. The guards got involved in the snowball fight and were no longer vigilant. The French took advantage of this and after they had surrounded the sentries, they took out their weapons from under their coats. The occupation by the French was finally ended after more than 100 days of siege.
End of military use
In 1964, it was decided by decree that the citadel and the outlying areas should be donated to the city of Pamplona. This finally put an end to the military use of the site. The decree stipulated that the structure of the fortress should be preserved. Following surveys, the city finally decided to incorporate a spacious park in and around the fortress. Visitors can explore the well-preserved walls and bastions and enjoy the extensive green spaces.
There are still several historic buildings within the citadel today. The coat of arms hall was built in 1725 after renovation work. The three-storey building was previously an artillery store/weapons hall. Today the building is used for exhibitions.
The building known as the oven was built in the late 16th century. There used to be a bread oven here. Today the building is used for exhibitions. The Sala de Felipe II is located right next to the bastion of Santa Maria. The hall has a high barrel vault and was built in 1580. It originally served as the gateway to Socorro. It was only later converted into a hall. Today, wedding ceremonies are held there. In another building from the 17th century, there are two large rooms. One was used as a cellar, the other as a granary. Exhibitions can also be visited here today.
The magazine is the oldest building within the citadel. It was used to store gunpowder in 1694.
Visit to the citadel
We enter the large complex through one of the two entrance gates. Paths run in a star shape towards a central square. There are several works of art on the beautifully manicured lawns, inviting you to take an artistic tour. Those who prefer to enjoy nature will find some interesting trees, such as the Japanese string tree or a cork oak.
We were drawn to the walls and bastions of the fortress. From there, you not only have a beautiful view of the citadel, but you can also discover the defenses in front of it.
We took a closer look at these a little later on a tour. I was really amazed at how high and massive the fortress looks from there. I really wouldn’t have guessed that.
Is it worth exploring the citadel in Pamplona?
Definitely! It’s not only a great walk around the old town, but also exciting from an architectural point of view to visit the well-preserved complex. It gave us a completely different view of a city that I had previously only associated with bullfighting.
Address
Avenida del Ejército, s/n 31002 Pamplona (Navarra)
Opening hours
Monday – Saturday 7:30 am – 9:30 pm Sunday and public holiday 9 – 21:30
Exhibitions Monday to Saturday 18:30 – 21:00 Sunday and public holiday 12:00 – 14:00 Closed: January 1 and 6 and December 25.
Admission fees
The visit is free of charge.
Pamplona fortress city: San Bartolomé Fort
We almost walked past the entrance, as San Bartolomé Fort didn’t look really open when we got there. It was only when we stepped through the large iron gate that we realized we could enter the grounds.
Tour of the San Bartolomé Fort
The former fort now houses a small exhibition on the history of the fortress. There are 4 small rooms that are interactive and multilingual and show the development of the city wall, defense strategies, a view of the people and the city. The visit doesn’t take long. If you look at everything in peace, maybe 30 minutes.
We really enjoyed it and our tip: go to the small fort first. There you will find information explaining the structure of the entire Pamplona fortress.
It is also possible to walk up to this part of the fortifications. Here you can see the structure of the fortress walls very clearly. The thick walls have narrow openings through which the cannons once fired. You can now enjoy a great view of the surrounding area from the spot where they used to look out for potential enemies.
Opening hours
Summer:11-14 h and 16-19 h Winter: 11-14 o’clock and 15-18 o’clock
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