Gallipienzo, medieval town – History of a kingdom.
The history of the old Kingdom of Navarre is not only told about the entire territory, but also of each and every one of its population centres, which have been important throughout the ages. This is the case of Gallipienzo, which we have notions about since Roman times in the Iberian Peninsula, through the different archaeological sites and remains that have been found in the area.
The most important archaeological sites that have been found are Santa Criz de Eslava (which can be visited) and other remains found in the nearest district to Gallipienzo, known as “los Casquilletes de San Juan”, which can be seen in the Museum of Pamplona.
However, the time when Gallipienzo reached its maximum splendour is undoubtedly the Middle Ages, when the fortress we know today as Gallipienzo was built to serve as a resistance centre against the Moors around the year 924, later becoming a bordering villa between the kingdoms of Navarre and Aragon.
Gallipienzo remains true to its past with its intricate and beautiful narrow stone streets and some architectural monuments from that period. Some of these are listed below:
Parroquia de San Pedro (Parish Church of San Pedro): dating back to the 14th century, its front façade has been preserved and its main altarpiece is noteworthy, of which only the sculpture remains, a carving of the “Virgen del Rosario” (Our Lady of the rosary) and another one of a Gothic style “Virgen en pie” (Virgin standing). The interior decorations on the benches and corridors reflect themes related with Saint Peter and scenes from the Passion of Christ.
Another great treasure of this villa is the Church of San Salvador (13th-14th centuries), which was declared an Asset of Cultural interest in 1994 due to its artistic value. Also, Gallipienzo conserves one of the seven crypts that exist in the Iberian Peninsula. We are referring to the Crypt of Santa Margarita, a jewel of late Roman 12th century architecture, although with a certain air of renaissance.
From the high area of the town we can see the Roman Bridge, which has been rebuilt on several occasions since the Middle Ages, giving it the appearance it has today. During that period, the bridge had a defensive tower to control access.
If the traveller is looking for a place without light pollution where to enjoy astro-tourism, the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Peña (13th century) is the perfect place to observe the stars.
Walking the streets of the town of dreams we find other places of historic and cultural interest of what once was life at Gallipienzo. At this point, the passageways are worth mentioning, which are spaces that separated the houses of the town, normally signalling that it was a noble house. An example of this is the passageway on Juego Largo street.
An important area for the people of that period to socialise was la Plaza del Matadero, a place where animals were slaughtered and left hanging to dry before taking them to the meat market to feed the families of the town.
We can see these as well as many other charms from the medieval period of Gallipienzo. We invite you to take a walk on the stone narrow streets and discover nooks that seem to have been taken out from the history of another time.
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