FIRST LEVEL MUSEUMS

Biscay   |  Guipuzcoa  |  Alava  |  Navarre  |  French Basque Country

Castillo de Javier Museum (Javier)
The castle dates from the 10th century and has been the object of archaeological restoration since the 1950s. It was converted into a museum in 1986, and holds numerous art works and historic documents. Among the former is a collection of Spanish art from the 15th to the 20th century (Murillo, Coello, Carreño, Maella, V. Bécquer, Lucas, R. Madrazo, and Salaverria), and Japanese scrolls from the 19th century that depict scenes from the life of Saint San Francisco Javier. Also notable are the various altarpieces on display.

Museum of Navarra (Pamplona)
Located in the old Hospital of Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia, which maintains its original facade and chapel from the 16th century, it was converted into a museum by Jose Yarnoz and reinaugurated in 1990. It houses archaeological and artistic collections related to the past and the present of the Regional Community of Navarre.

Cathedral and Diocesan Museum (Pamplona)
The museum displays pieces of sacred art from Navarre. Particularly outstanding are the Marian works of art and the gold and silver work collection, with exceptional pieces:

- Gothic reliquaries of Santo Sepulcro and the Lignum Crucies, in French gothic style, that belonged to the crown of Navarre
- The reliquary of Santa Espina (15th Century)
- The Corpus tabernacle and niche, created by goldsmiths from Pamplona at the end of the 15th century, with a rich eucharistic iconography
- Parish crucifixes of great value such as that of Arazari

The collection is completed by different examples of altar art, carvings, and decorative arts.

Oteiza Museum (Alzuza)
Oteiza has been described as a sculptor of Void and Silence, and he used to work with strong and compact materials such as bronze, cement and steel, managing to establish metaphysical dialogues about cylinders, spheres and other geometrical figures.

With the opening of the Museum in the small town of (Navarre), people will have the opportunity to admire the work of the sculptor. For this occasion, a big cube painted in orange which can be seen from many parts of the shire. This amazing project has been carried out by the architect Sáenz de Oiza.

Although the museum will preserve an independent entrance for those who attend speeches, the documentation centre, temporary exhibitions or partial visits, a guided circuit has been prepared, and it will leave from the workshop house. Inside it, the visitors will be able to enjoy the multiplicity of the aspects of Oteiza's work, its creativity and its personality.