Church of the Holy Sepulchre Estella

Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Estella

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Estella, located in the beautiful region of Navarra in Spain, on the Camino de Santiago Frances, stands on what was once known as the Rua de los Peregrinos, now called Calle de Curtidores. This site is highly significant, as it is considered one of the oldest parishes in the entire city of Estella. Historical records show that in the year 1123 this church was the meeting place of the Confraternity of the Holy Sepulchre, underlining its religious and cultural importance. The church’s current structure is the result of a long and complex building process that began in the Romanesque style and was not completed until the 16th century. It is worth noting that in 1881 the church ceased to function as a parish.

Part of the original design, dating from around the year 1200, is preserved in the church. The Gospel-side nave can be admired, with a semicircular apse that still shows its ancient beauty. During the 14th century the heads of the central chapel and the Epistle-side chapel were built, both polygonal in shape. While some sections of the walls of the main chapel can still be seen, sadly only the foundations remain of the southern chapel, leaving us to imagine what it might once have looked like.

To enter the church, visitors pass through an impressive and grandiose Gothic doorway dating from the early 14th century. This doorway is formed by twelve splayed archivolts resting on slender columns, which end in a continuous capital decorated with beautiful plant motifs and animal figures. The tympanum above the door is divided into three distinct levels. The lower level shows a depiction of “The Last Supper”, a highly significant scene in Christian tradition. The upper level holds the depiction of “The Crucifixion”, and the central level shows three different scenes: on the left, “The Three Marys at the Sepulchre”; in the centre, “The Massacre of the Innocents”; and on the right, the scene of “Noli me tangere” — capturing key moments of the biblical narrative.

The doorway is also decorated with groups of six niches on each side, holding sculptures of the apostles. Right in front of the church door stand the figures of the Saint James the Greater, depicted in the traditional Jacobean pilgrim’s habit, and of Saint Martin of Tours, who appears dressed as a bishop, in a pose suggesting he is blessing the faithful.

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