Basílica de Santa María la Real

The Basílica de Santa María la Real is the Cathedral of Pamplona, set inside the old walls above the Arga river. The building you see is largely Gothic, constructed mainly in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries on the site of a Romanesque cathedral, and its calm, rather severe interior reflects that period. From the street, however, you see a very different face: the neoclassical west front was added in the late eighteenth century, with a design by the architect Ventura Rodríguez, replacing a Gothic façade that had been judged unsafe.

The cathedral’s great treasure is its cloister, one of the finest Gothic cloisters in Europe, with delicate tracery and carved doorways that rival those of the church itself. Around it are chapels, a former refectory and kitchen, and rooms that now house the Diocesan Museum, where religious art, goldwork and relics are displayed. Beneath parts of the complex are archaeological remains, showing the layers of Roman-era and medieval settlement, from Roman roads to the medieval burgh on which the city grew.

Inside the church, the Royal Mausoleum of Charles III the Noble and his wife Leonor of Castile is the most important monument. Their alabaster effigies lie on a tomb carved in the fifteenth century by the Flemish sculptor Jehan Lome of Tournai, and the figures are shown in lifelike detail, with robes, crowns and small attendants around the base. The kings of Navarre were crowned and swore to uphold the kingdom’s laws in this church. It is a main monument of Navarra and of Spain, and a draw for Spanish and Basque visitors alike. The cathedral’s bells, including the large María Bell, can also be seen on a visit to the bell tower, where visits are arranged at set times and often need to be booked.

Pamplona lies on the main French route of the Camino de Santiago, so the cathedral is a regular stop for pilgrims, and the city is also known worldwide for the San Fermín festival every July, whose running of the bulls passes through streets not far from the building. The old town around it, with the Plaza del Castillo and the city walls, is compact and easy to explore on foot.

A visit usually takes a couple of hours, and ticket arrangements and opening times change, so check the cathedral’s official site before going. The building is still an active church, so respectful clothing is expected.