WHAT TO SEE IN THE CASTLE OF JAVIER DE NAVARRA
Javier, a name that comes from the Basque etxeberri and means new house, is a town of the Sangüesa region, which is located on a kind of rectangular valley between the Leyre and Peña mountain ranges, in the east of the Autonomous Community of Navarra. It has a population of 125 Javierinos.
The town – fiefdom grew at the request of the castle and devotion to the saint. In its origins it occupied the space where the castle esplanade is today. The growing influx of pilgrims to the place meant that, in 1965, it was decided rebuild the town in another place to have more space to receive visitors. For this reason the urban center looks more contemporary.
The Javierinos They are extremely hospitable, its landscapes and natural settings are beautiful, the streets of Javier look well-kept and full of flowers. You can visit them all year round. Do you want to disconnect from the routine and the city? Come to Javier!
Javier Castle
At first, it was a watchtower in a place strategic between the kingdoms of Navarre and Aragon, Over time, rooms and walls were added to it. Has three towers and three sections of different ages:
- La Tower of the Holy Christ, with the bastion and a chapel that houses a late Gothic crucifix, known as the Christ of the Smile and mural paintings that represent the dance of death.
- La tower of tribute or San Miguel, is the oldest part of the castle.
- El museum It is the building dedicated to the saint.
The third tower of the castle is Undués, an old winery. The archaeological remains found in the vicinity give an account of Muslim bases and plinths from the 10th century, In addition, an enclosure surrounding the X centuryI, and others 13th century expansive structures. This is one of the few castles that preserve a good part of its defenses and the structures that make it up. Access is by crossing a drawbridge.
Part of the exhibition is located in the old stables And contains artworks, old utensils, diagrams, plans, documents and calyxes in addition to a scale model of the castle.
Going down the lame ladder, you access the oldest enclosure of the castle, the Saint's room, where Saint Francis Xavier lived from a young age until 1525, when he went to Paris to study at the university.Read more
The Molinaz
It's a mill from the 13th century, an architectural jewel and a work of ogival style ashlar, is located on the bank of the Aragón River and 1,5 kilometers away from the castle, it was part of the properties of the Lords of Javier. The mid-height walls around the mill, a stone staircase which was part of the original structure and the water entry and exit hole. In the surrounding area a recreational area so it is an excellent place to walk and share a picnic.
The Javieradas
Javier's town is famous for being the birthplace of Saint Francis Xavier, the Patron of missions and youth. In 1886, a cholera epidemic devastated the region and the parishioners in the churches asked Saint Francis Xavier for healing. This He did the miracle of saving them and that is why the first or second weekend of each March inhabitants of Javier and the neighboring towns walk, in a pilgrimage, to the castle of Javier.
The Javieradas attract thousands of pilgrims from all over Spain and are celebrated during the week of the ninth of Grace, from March 4th to 12th. Depending on the distance, the routes are more or less long and have pre-established points where They stop to eat, rest and spend the night.
On the second Sunday of March, a Viacrucis of eight kilometers from Sangüesa to the Castillo de San Javier, where a open air mass with which the event closes until the following year.
Church in honor of the Annunciation of our Lady
It was initially built as a abbey in the 15th century by order of the parents Saint Francis Xavier, whoever he was baptized there. In the 17th century it was recovered and the reforms were carried out in the baroque style. Interior decoration It has altarpieces of the Sacred Heart and the Virgin learning to read, both from the 15th century, as well as a carving of Santa María de Javier and a stone baptismal font. The central altarpiece is from the 18th century and in it the Annunciation, Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier are represented.
