A guide to urban sculpture in Pamplona

The monument to the Charter of Navarre (Los Fueros) stands at the eastern end of the Paseo de Sarasate parade. A structure in the form of a cube shaped temple, organised into two bodies, on an exceedingly high pedestal and, finally, the column supporting the female statue, a lost-wax bronze casting. The pentagonal base, constructed in Tafalla stone, features five sets of steps, between which there are chains hanging from small pillars, symbolising the shield of Navarre. Supported on this base is the first body of the monument, constructed with Almándoz stone and featuring, on each of its five sides, a bronze plaque with inscriptions referring to the freedoms of Navarre. Three of these inscriptions are written in Spanish, the fourth in Basque and the last is also in Basque but with characters that are supposedly Iberian and difficult to understand. At each angle of this pentagonal body, on the column capitals, there is a seated statue carved in Angouleme stone, representing five allegories: History, Justice, Autonomy, Peace and Work, all with their corresponding attributes. History, personified by the muse Kleio, as a symbol of knowledge and culture. Justice is shown as a woman with a sword between her hands. Autonomy or Self-government is symbolised by a winged angel taking the helm. Peace is represented by a woman with an olive branch, holding a little bird against her breast, a bird considered in times of old to be a symbol of peace and tranquillity, given the fact that during the time spent building its nest, all winds and storms disappeared completely. Finally, Work is represented by a blacksmith, carrying a hammer resting on a steel anvil. The second body, rising out of the first one, is also pentagonal in shape and is of white stone with small columns of Aizcorbe red marble topped with bronze capitals. There are a number of coats of arms on the monument sides: those of Navarre and Pamplona, with the monogram of Christ underneath, the symbol of the Christian religion; the shields of the other historical administrative and legal districts of the Kingdom of Navarre: Tudela, Olite, Sangüesa and Estella.

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The route

Monument to the Charter of Navarre

Manuel Martínez de Ubago y Ramón Carmona, 1903

Bronze, marble and different types of stone