Plaza del Castillo

Plaza del Castillo en Pamplona - Wikicommons

From the very moment the pilgrims put their footprints on the south bank of the Arga River across the Magdalena Bridge, Pamplona is already in the air. It is the first major city on the Camino de Santiago and the capital of Navarre, the province where some of the most interesting tourist attractions in terms of culture and territorial history are located. The enclave is popularly known for its San Fermin festivities, but also for harboring such nationally relevant locations as the Plaza del Castillo.

The Plaza del Castillo, also known as Gazteluko Plaza or Gazteluko Enparantza in Basque, is a public space located south of the old town of Pamplona. It is considered one of the nerve centers of Pamplona's social life since its urban configuration between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and is currently one of the most representative icons of the capital of Navarre and one of the most prominent spaces for different activities and events.

The buildings around the Plaza del Castillo tell its history.

With the aim of acting as a link between the old and the newer part of Pamplona, the Plaza del Castillo is an open space for everyone. It is a pedestrian area completely surrounded by arcades, but there is no uniform pattern because a large number of modifications have been carried out over the centuries. It is for this simple reason that the buildings that make up the square do not present a continuity and are so different from each other.

This curious characteristic gives the Plaza del Castillo a very suggestive architectural attraction. The buildings that stand out most around it are the facade of the headquarters of the Government of Navarre; the old Casino and the Palace of Goyeneche with a palatial baroque design.