Eslava
Eslava: a Journey through Roman Ruins and Vineyards
In the heart of the Merindad de Sangüesa, just 56 km from Pamplona, lies Eslava, a small rural jewel in the Middle Zone of Navarre, with a population of just 110. Its population has shown remarkable stability in recent years, reflecting its deep roots and lasting charm.
Its most outstanding heritage site is the Roman settlement of Santa Criz de Eslava, the most monumental Roman city preserved in Navarre and a key enclave for understanding the Roman presence in Vascon territory. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2016, Santa Criz allows visitors to explore the remains of the forum, the necropolis, and urban structures that evoke the public life of that era.
This archaeological treasure, officially discovered in 1917, is located on a strategically elevated hill that offers privileged views of the Aragón and Aibar valleys. Originally, it was a pre-Roman settlement, possibly starting as a Vascon fort that transformed into a Roman civitas during the Empire.
But Eslava does not dwell solely on the past. Its surroundings are rich in nature: gentle hills, cultivated fields, and trails that invite you to lose yourself in the rural landscape. The Sangüesa region, where it is located, offers an atmosphere that seems to slow down time, ideal for those seeking authenticity and tranquility.
Viticulture, widely present in this area of Navarre, adds another dimension to the local experience: guided tours that combine the exploration of the Roman site with wine tastings, an evocative way to connect with history.
In short, Eslava is much more than a charming village: it is a place where ancient history, rural life, and intimate contact with nature meet the authenticity of its people. An ideal destination for those who want to learn, disconnect, and discover the beauty of simplicity.
Geography
It is bordered to the north by Ezprogui, to the east by Ezprogui and Gallipienzo, to the south by Ujué, and to the west by Lerga.
The municipality consists of two small mountain ranges, one to the north and one to the south, separated by a lower and flatter central part. The first line of mountains runs from Monte Lerga (982 m) to the vicinity of Santa Águeda (863 m); the second culminates at 808 m. There is a close relationship between relief and structure: the mountainous part of the north corresponds to a hanging syncline, an eastern extension of that of Barásoain, and that of the south with the abrupt front of a sandstone crest (Oligocene) modeled on the southern flank of the Tafalla-Lerga anticline, here deeply hollowed out by erosion in the marls and clays of the same period, which explains the flat part of the center of the municipal area, in which extensive patches of glacis covered with debris are preserved.
Unique Points of Eslava
Church of San Miguel
Church of medieval origin from around 1200, of which the tower, columns of the choir, crypt and triumphal arch of the chancel are preserved, in addition to sections of wall visible on the Gospel side, which in the 16th century received ribbed vaults, and the chancel and choir were also built at that time. Finally, in the 17th century, the chapels and the aedicule of the baptismal font were built, and the eave was also rebuilt.
The floor plan consists of a single nave of three sections and a flat chancel. Two chapels open in the immediate section of the transept. The elevations show the walls of good ashlar in view. The triumphal arch is pointed, with a very powerful quadrangular section, and rests on pillars with a smooth impost. Two arches give access to the chapels; the one in the nave of the Gospel is a carpanel arch with the intrados decorated with molded coffers inscribed with rhombuses; the arch rests on molded corbels on paneled pilasters. The one on the Epistle side is semicircular with paneled coffers in the spandrel and intrados and rests on smooth pilasters on molded imposts.
In front of the door there is an aedicule formed by paneled Doric pilasters with their corresponding architrave that frame a semicircular arch that gives entrance to a niche with a barrel vault where the baptismal chapel is housed.
Hermitage of Santa Bárbara
It is located in the upper part of the town and has been extensively renovated.
It has a rectangular floor plan with three naves separated by concrete pillars and a flat beamed ceiling. The sacristy is attached to the chancel on the Gospel side.
On the exterior, there are ashlar walls, a gabled roof, and a belfry at the foot where a rectangular door is located.
The hermitage is presided over by a 16th-century sculpture of Christ Crucified with expressionistic anatomy, and a modern Santa Bárbara.
The stoup with gadroons is also from the 16th century.
Eslava Cross
Located at the exit of the town in the direction of Lerga, it dates from the 16th century and rises on three quadrangular steps, a prismatic pedestal, and a fluted shaft.
The cross bore the Crucified between Mary and Saint John on the obverse and the Immaculate Conception on the reverse. It has now been renovated, showing a modern Crucified on the obverse.