Olazagutía: Fortified Church, Archaeology and the Sierra de Urbasa

Olazagutía combines a large fortified church, very early traces of human presence and the landscape of the Sierra de Urbasa to create a multifaceted townscape. Here, different historical layers lie closely alongside one another between sacred architecture, archaeology and nature.

Culture

The parish church of San Miguel Arcángel is a large 16th-century fortified church in the Gothic-Renaissance style. Few openings, machicolations, straight walls articulated by buttresses and a polygonal apse make it appear like a massive box-like structure.

The presbytery of San Miguel Arcángel contains a largely early-17th-century proto-Baroque altarpiece with twisted columns, scrollwork friezes and several gables. In the five sections of its two tiers and in the upper section, it contains reliefs of Saint Michael, the Nativity and the Annunciation. These are joined by depictions of the two Saint Johns, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Michael, the Assumption of Mary and the Crucifixion of Christ.

La Calera is a restored 19th-century lime kiln and is considered the only one of its kind in Navarre. The Clinker Club is a building erected in 1964 as a leisure facility associated with the cement works and set within a natural environment.

History

The now-vanished Koskobilo I site in Olazti is considered Navarre’s oldest Quaternary site; animals documented there include rhinoceroses, macaques and Tibetan black bears.

The Koskobilo site in Olazti/Olazagutía contains the oldest documented evidence of human presence in the area, with remains from the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic.

The Nuestra Señora de Belén chapel is located along the route of the former Bordeaux–Astorga Roman road; archaeological finds have been made in its surroundings.

Nature

The Sierra de Urbasa is an extensive natural park with beech forests and meadows. It can be reached via Puerto Viejo and the area around Salto de Aguas.

The peaks of Peñas de Ulibarri and Aketegi are located in the surroundings of Olazagutía. In the wider regional area around Olazagutía are the peaks of Aizkorri and Beriain.

The surroundings of Olazagutía also include the Parque Natural de Ubasa y Andia, the Museo Etnográfico del Reino de Pamplona and the Iglesia de San Pedro de la Rua.

Geographical Location

Olazti/Olazagutía is an important transport hub where the A-1 and A-10 motorways meet. Railway lines also connect the town with the provinces of the Basque Country.

A holiday apartment in Olazagutía can be considered based on travel dates, room category and cancellation policies. These details provide an independent framework for the accommodation decision; the town’s distinctive features – its fortified church, archaeology and the Sierra de Urbasa – remain separate from this as distinct areas of focus.

Other places in the same regional classification include Corella, Beire, Monteagudo, Oiz, Eslava, Oderitz, Ardaitz and Abárzuza.

For the overarching travel overview: Navarre.