Catedral de Pamplona

Cathedral in Pamplona

Pamplona Catedral, Exterior — CC BY-SA 1.0 / Zarateman

Gothic Stairs (XV Century) To The Superior Floor Of The Cloister Of The Gothic Cathedral Of Santa Maria La Real Of Pamplona. — CC BY-SA 3.0 / Maribuena

Interior Naves Catedral Pamplona — CC BY-SA 2.0 / Yiorsito

West Side Of The Cloister Of The Cathedral Of Pamplona — CC BY-SA 2.0 / Yiorsito

The Pamplona Cathedral (Santa María la Real) is a 15th century Roman Catholic Gothic church of Pamplona, Spain. It is located in the Casco Viejo or old town near the Plaza del Castillo.

The current 15th century Gothic church replaced an older Romanesque one, dating back to the 6th century and has retained the Romanesque crypt. It was built over 150 years during the 14th and 15th centuries which explains the variety of architectural influences that can be seen. The cathedral blends several architectural styles including an impressive Neoclassical facade and twin towers, which soar high above the town to the Gothic cloister and the interior Renaissance motifs. Inside is the magnificent alabaster tomb of Charles III the Noble and his wife Leonora de Trastámara by the Flemish master Jean de Lomme. From the Romanesque era is a precious 12th-century Virgin Mary figure, which presided over the baptisms and coronations of the Navarre kings.

Admission includes a guided tour (English available with advance notice). The 11.15am tour also takes you up the bell tower to see (and possibly hear) the second-largest church bell in Spain. You also visit the cloisters and a small museum, which displays religious treasures, the remaining walls of a Roman-era house discovered under the cathedral during restoration work.

The Catedral de Pamplona appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Pamplona!

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