Iglesia de La Asunción

Iglesia de la Asunción - Miguel Cortés/iStock

If you are doing the Camino de Santiago in Navarra you can visit the church of La Asunción which is located in Villatuerta. This striking looking church is Villatuerta's main monument. In addition to its imposing image, it is in a place where there is no other building. Next to the entrance of the temple, you can see the monument to San Veremundo, the patron of Villatuerta and the Camino de Santiago in Navarra.

San Veremundo was an abbot of the Irache monastery and during the 11th century, he dedicated a large part of his life to attending to pilgrims and caring for the Camino de Santiago. His statue recalls the link with the Camino de Santiago, and it is very common to find a pilgrim taking a break enjoying the landscape and the beautiful monument. Next to it, there is a fountain with an inscription that talks about the Camino de Santiago and the protection of San Veremundo.

Church of La Asunción: An old medieval factory

Its origin dates from the 13th century, when Navarra was going through the transition from Romanesque to Gothic art. It was built as a late Romanesque medieval construction, however, it was destroyed in 1378, when the Castilians set the town on fire. After this event, at the end of the 16th century, they rebuilt it in the Gothic style. Of its architectural complex, the Romanesque tower and the Gothic façade stand out.

Inside there are various Gothic decorations and wall paintings. As well as other Romanesque elements; on the side of the epistle a Romanesque doorway from the 13th century, and on the Gospel side the main doorway from the end of the 14th century, with a pointed arch with simple archivolts. Its exterior looks like a block of medieval stonework with articulated walls and strong buttresses.