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PAMPLONA: THE PRIVILEGE OF THE UNION
A city that does not forget its origin
Pamplona has changed greatly since that year of 1423,
when three rival burgos decided to unite under a sin-
gle banner. Today it is a modern, university city, open
to the world, yet in its medieval layout —those streets
that still bear the names of the old neighbourhoods— it
preserves the memory of its birth. Walking through the
Navarrería, crossing San Nicolás or looking up at the
towers of San Cernin is to wander through a living his-
tory lesson.
The Privilegio de la Unión is not confined to archives
or official ceremonies; it is a way of being in the world.
It reflects a city that learnt that coexistence is built day
by day, in markets, in workshops, in frontones and in
shared kitchens. It is a lesson that Pamplona, with its
steadfast character and quiet hospitality, continues to
teach to any traveller who pauses to listen.
And perhaps that is why, when in September the ringing
of bells announces the Fiesta de la Unión and the arti-
sans set out their stalls, one feels the city return to its
origins. The hands that carve, knead or strike the pelota
repeat, unknowingly, the same gesture made six hun-
dred years ago: to unite, to create, to share
Isn’t it true that you can speak about Pamplona
without mentioning San Fermín and its bull runs?
Detail of the traditional costume worn by the participants in the parade
Privilege of the Unión parade
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