Olite / Erriberri

Its farming tradition is deep-rooted, but it is particularly known for its wine-making; it is with good reason that it is seat of the D.O. Navarra Regulatory Council, EVENA and the Navarre Wine and Museum.

Those very bounties have lured people there since pre-historic times; it was subsequently heavily Romanised and chosen by the monarchs of Navarre as their primary residence.

Since the 13th century, Olite was the royal seat, but its heyday was from the 15th century, when King Charles III the Noble of Navarre began work on building the magnificent Royal Palace of Navarre in Olite, a reflection of the brilliance of a whole era.

This striking building, with juxtaposed towers, courtyards and galleries, was an extension of the Old Palace – now a Parador hotel – built on the early Roman site. Its stained glass windows and coloured tiles, and the timber overhangs will leave nobody unmoved. The inside boasts magnificent gardens, rooms decorated with Manises tiles, plaster work, intricate decoration, coffered ceilings, etc.

This fact changed the appearance of the city, its specific importance and its subsequent evolution to become the Royal Court.

Its heart is the Plaza de Carlos III el Noble, a square that is the hub of activities, where the market, meeting and festivities were held; it was home to the public clock, the pillory and fountain, the steeple tower, the town hall, and the palace in the background.

The Church of Santa María la Real stands next to the Old Palace, the centre of the ‘inner circle’, a Roman complex; the church’s portal is one of Navarre’s most notable Gothic sculptural works given its exuberance and decorative quality. There is a splendid Renaissance altarpiece by Pedro de Aponte inside.