Artajona

Artajona is a North Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Navarre. The old center was classified as a cultural ( Bien de Interès Cultural ) in the category Conjunto histórico - artístico.

Location

Artajona lies on a rocky hill about 35 km ( driving distance ) southwest of Pamplona. The places Sangüesa (56 kilometers east ), Puente la Reina (about 14 kilometers north ) and Estella (32 kilometers northwest ) are important stations on the Spanish Way of St. James ( Camino de Santiago).

Demographics

Until the mid-20th century Artajona had well over two thousand inhabitants.

Economy

Traditionally, agriculture ( including viticulture), trade and commerce of the utmost importance for the economy of the small town. Due to the rapidly increasing mechanization of agriculture in the second half of the 20th century accounted for many jobs. Particular apartment rentals - - For the tourism joined as the source of income of the city.

History

In about four kilometers away are the remains of two megalithic dolmens, which are dated to the 4th millennium BC. Excavations in the winter of 2007/ 08 brought traces of a Roman settlement near the modern village; previously a Roman milestone dating from the 3rd century was found. As a result of the advance of Islam in the north of Spain became depopulated the area, but this was repopulated in the 10th and 11th centuries. In 1084 was Pedro de Roda (or Pedro de Roquez ), who was from 1083 to 1115 Bishop of Pamplona, ​​the church owned the place at the Abbey of Saint -Sernin of Toulouse, whose priory they remained until the year 1536. Artajona was in the high Middle Ages fraction of upstream defense ring of the city of Pamplona, ​​consequently, strongly fortified; However, given today's city wall dates from the 14th century. After the conquest of the Kingdom of Navarre by Ferdinand of Aragon ( 1512), the city lost any strategic importance.

Attractions

• From the late medieval city wall, nine of the original 16 towers remain. This jump only slightly outward while they were open towards the inside and had wooden stairway landings. Destroyed today - - keep ( torre de homenaje ) with powerful outer walls on a circular plan within the city walls stood.

• The former Gothic priory church of San Saturnino is on the highest point of the town; with its high windows and their solid looking west facade they expressed their impressive defensive character, which is also visible in the battlements and the parapet walls of the roof area. The mighty inclined south tower secures and stabilizes the apse. Overall, the church has an architectural standpoint outside as inside certain similarities to south-west France Gothic churches - especially the Cathedral of Albi or the former abbey church of Saint- Sernin in Toulouse, by which it rare patronal feast of St.. Saturninus in common. The block-like effect of the west facade is broken up only by a beautiful rose window, two rows of six Gothic arcades and the stepped portal with a figurative Tympanonfeld, the lintel depicting scenes from the martyrdom of St.. Saturninus shows. The more than forty feet wide aisled nave of the church is covered by a ribbed vault. In the retracted laterally and in height apse an altarpiece from the early 16th century is painted with scenes from the Passion of Christ.
• The Gothic church of San Pedro is also from the 13th century. Interesting are mainly the two nichtfigürlichen Gothic portals in the west and on the north side.
• Two cistern wells served for centuries the water supply of the population.
• The two dolmens ( Mina de Farangortea and Portillo de Enériz ) are located - only about 800 meters apart - about four kilometers outside of Artajona. Cover your plate are long since collapsed.

Others

Artajona served as a backdrop for scenes in the film Robin and Marian (1976 ) with Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, inter alia, directed by Richard Lester.

Personalities

• José María Jimeno Jurío (1927-2002) was a historian and ethnologist; He wrote many books and articles on topics from the cultural history of Navarre