In Navarrefor each city Whatever you achieve, you will find something that stands out or makes it special. Maybe it is a small chapel, an imposing forest or an ancient monument in memory of someone. Whatever happens, you will remain impressed for many reasons.
An example is Huarte Araquila municipality at the foot of the sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar located 32 km northwest of the Navarrese capital and with around 800 inhabitants.
The village of Huarte Araquil was founded in a strategic locationin a narrowing of the Barranca and backed by a meander of the Arakil River which served as defense aid of the population. Currently, the population has expanded beyond the Arakil River, where it was originally established.
Huarte Araquil could have had its beginnings in Prehistory since around the territory have been found at least 16 megalithic monuments and dolmens which indicate the pastoral origin of the inhabitants of this mountainous area.
He first testimony writing It is from the Roman era Aracelium or Araceli which are identified with the Roman remains discovered in the Zamarce region. The city has appeared in many documents with different mentions and names such as Huart, Hyarte or Huarte de Val de Araquilstill as a place belonging to the monastery of Santa María de Zamarce.
Officially, Huarte AraquilIt was founded in 1355. The king of the time, Charles IIordered the creation of a defense line in the city to protect against Castilian attackers which had occupied Guipuzcoa and Biscay. However, the construction and population of the city were difficult and two years later the houses in the villages were demolished force its inhabitants to settle in Huarte.
The growth of the municipality it was slowbut it was consolidated at the end of the 14th century. Unfortunately, at the end of the 15th century, he lived one of the many fires of its history, devastated the 160 houses of the city. As a relief for this incident, their royal taxes were cancelled for ten years.
Centuries later, a cholera epidemic hit the city. In 1892 another major fire was recorded and in 1962 the last major fire occurred. leave traces in architecture of the place, like Calle del Río.
In Huarte Araquil highlights the Saint-Jean-Baptiste parisha temple in which different architectural styles were mixed. It started as a gothic parish erected in the 14th century, but at the end of the 15th century the temple was rebuilt because of one of the terrible fires that occurred in the city.
Also highlight the medieval bridge which allows to cross the Arakil River. The exact date when it was built is not clearly known, but it is assumed that it was between the 13th and 16th centuries. This single-eye pointed arch bridge is wide enough for you to cross a car no problem.
However, the jewel of Huarte Araquil is he monastery of Santa María de ZamarceBuilt around 1140 and 1150, it is one of the works in which the influence of the disappeared Romanesque cathedral of Pamplona. Today is a spiritual retreat house and you can visit the small museum which contains remains excavated in 2010 and 2015.
During the last excavations the remains of the old one were found manor Roman of Araceli and medieval pilgrim tombs. In the past, this was undoubtedly a regulation that emerged primarily for serve travelers from the road that crosses the Arakil corridor.
The entrance to the monastery is free and is open to the public every day from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.. To make a visit outside of these hours, you must call to the temple directly.
The monastery is located next to the Arakil River at the foot of the Sierra de Aralar, on the road that leads to Sanctuary of Saint Michael in ExcelsisTo get there, you have to cross the AP-15 then take a detour via the A-10 motorway.
