Interesting places on the Saint James Way: the castle-basilica of Javier

On this occasion, we are going to another of those places in Spain that a seasoned writer, Juan Eslava Galán, recommends visiting at least once in a lifetime.

We are, therefore, in Navarre, very close to the border with the also highly recommended lands of the Cinco Villas de Aragón and the place we are heading to is located six kilometres from the Sierra and the monastery of San Salvador de Leire and another six from a town, Sangüesa, an unavoidable point on the Saint James Way, which has, in its fantastic church of Saint Mary the Royal, one of the most outstanding elements of Romanesque architecture in Spain.

Notwithstanding what has been said, it is good to note that Javier is a town that generally remains in the background, always in the shadow of its castle and the magnificent neo-Romanesque basilica attached to it, built in modern times by the Jesuits.

The name and this last detail, as some may have guessed, reveal the birthplace of Francisco de Jaso y Azpilicueta: one of the founders of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, who was also canonised for his incredible missionary work, especially in Africa and Asia, including that mysterious Japan, going down in history with the name of Saint Francis Xavier.

The castle, despite the numerous demolitions and rebuildings, including the expropriation carried out in the 16th century by the famous Cardinal Cisneros, is considered, in its origins, to be one of the oldest fortresses of its style in Madrid, dating back to the 10th century.

Practically, what we see of it today are reconstructions, more or less modern, and a visit to the interior, in addition to being a truly curious and educational experience, also constitutes a small journey in time through the life and work of this illustrious Navarrese.

Among its unique original rooms, it is worth highlighting the small Chapel of Christ, where the young Javier prayed and which preserves some creepy Gothic paintings inside, representing skeletons - an unequivocal warning of the lightness of our life - as well as a magnificent wooden Christ, also Gothic, which, it is said, has a reputation for being very miraculous.

This place is also a focus of pilgrimage, since every year the so-called Javierada is celebrated there, which consists of a country mass and festivities that extend to all the small towns in the surrounding area.

It is not surprising, therefore, that a short distance from the castle, there are places of lodging and catering, which, as in medieval times, satisfy the vital needs of both travelers and pilgrims, who, I can attest to this, flock to it at different times of the year.

Another interesting detail for art lovers, and especially for Gothic painting lovers, are some of the original paintings that can be found in its dark corridors, such as a Holy Face, a penitent Mary Magdalene, anonymous from the 16th century, as well as a curious representation of the famous scene that gave rise to the phrase ‘Noli me tangere’ or ‘Do not touch me’, which Christ dedicated to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection, although this work, also anonymous, is from the 18th century. In front of the castle and the basilica, there is a small but interesting oratory that was donated in medieval times by the parents of Francisco Javier.

Inside, the main altarpiece is presided over by a remarkable Romanesque image of the Virgin of Javier and where it is worth highlighting the elaboration of some surprising lamps, which, due to the angels that are represented on them, recall, in some way, those that, it seems, were also located as custodians of one of the most surprising relics, which has disappeared to this day, despite the efforts of Steven Spielberg and Indiana Jones: the Ark of the Covenant.

NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and therefore, are subject to my Copyright.