Pamplona: The City and its History

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The Old City

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The city of Pamplona was founded in 74 BC by Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, a Roman military and political figurehead. The city is the capital of the Navarra region of Spain, and the Old City refers to the parts of Pamplona that were historically Roman. This part of town as it appears today didn’t appear until the 19th century, because it was once surrounded by fortifying walls. In 1888, Pamplona underwent an Ensanche, meaning “first widening,” in which the fort was modified and six blocks were built. The second Ensanche began in 1915, which resulted in a city grid pattern. This was built from the 1920s to the 1950s, and explains why Pamplona is primarily filled with apartment buildings as opposed to single-family homes. The Old City appears as many other aged neighborhoods throughout Europe with tall, thin, and colorful buildings located on narrow cobblestone roads. In addition itso it striking beauty, the Old City also contains the Plaza de Castillo, Gran Hotel La Perla, the cathedral, and the city hall. Not to mention, it also has some great restaurants and bars!

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The City Walls

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Because of its prime location near the French border and the Pyrenees, Pamplona needed to be secured shortly after its founding. This is the reason for the creation of the fortifying walls now located in the center of the city. Pamplona was also a central meeting point for pilgrims and merchants, so the city walls were augmented to serve as dividers for their different settlements. But, these parts of the walls were destroyed in the middle of the 15th century in an effort to unify the people of the city. In 1530, the walls were renovated from head to toe, and bits and pieces of this construction continued until the 18th century. This is why they appear so well-preserved today.

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