Pamplona - Museo de Navarra

In 74 BC, the Roman city was founded by Pompejus on the site of a local settlement. The city served to secure the Pyrenees crossing from Roncesvalles.

Pamplona was destroyed several times in the course of its history:

466 by the Visigoths, 542 by the Franks, 778 by Charlemagne, 924 by Abd ar-Rahman III and in 1521 during the Franco-Spanish War by troops of Francis I.

Its location on the Way of St. James from France gave the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre a boom in the 11th century. With the division of Navarre, the city ultimately came to Spain.

After the conquest of the country and its incorporation into Castile in 1512-1515, Pamplona became one of the outposts of the Spanish crown on the French border. Its mission for 300 years was to secure the border against a possible invasion from France. Fortifications and walls were a vital system of defense, but at the same time prevented the city from expanding.


The museum is located in the old hospital “Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia de Pamplona” from the 16th century. However, only the facade with the main entrance and the former chapel remain of the hospital.

The Leyre Casket (Arqueta de Leyre)

This is one of the jewels of Hispano-Arab Islamic art.

The casket was carved during the Caliphate of Cordoba. The year of production is given as 395 AH (1004/1005 CE).  The casket was produced for ʿAbd al-Malik, political and military leader of the caliphate from 1002 to 1008. ʿAbd al-Malik is best known for being the son of Almanzor, vizier of Hisham II, but also military leader and strong politician of the caliphate.

At some point, as Christian kingdoms raided or conquered al-Andalus, the casket came into Christian hands and was donated to the Monastery of Leyre (from which it takes its name).  At Leyre the casket was repurposed as a reliquary to hold the remains of Saints Nunilo and Alodia, believed to have been executed as apostates during persecutions of Christians by ʿAbd al-Raḥman II, emir of Cordoba, on the mid-ninth century.

The casket was later held by the Church of Santa María la Real in Sangüesa and the Treasury of the Cathedral of Pamplona.


A detail - two elephants