You can see it from any point in Pamplona, the mountain (called Ezcaba) on the North side of the city and the enormous Fuerte de San Cristóbal that crowns it.   A now deserted fort and prison, it has become a favorite haunt (the road up is a big make-out point) and party spot of locals for its maze of foreboding dark underground passageways and “secret” entrances.  Many other locals would just as soon forget about it.  If you are new to Pamplona, chances are you haven’t had the chance to explore it.  Put it at the top of your list and bring a flashlight.

The Fuerte de San Cristóbal is easily accessible from Pamplona by car or bike (a six km drive from the city), or by foot through many trails up the mountain.  It is worth the visit for the view alone.  The fort is officially closed, though there are ways to get in, at your own risk.

After the end of the Carlist Wars (in 1876), The Ciudadela of Pamplona was deemed unfit for the defense of the city in light of the new artillery of the age.  A better, more modern stronghold was needed and The Fuerte de San Cristóbal (officially called the Fuerte de Alonso XII on the entrance to the complex) was to be one of the most modern military fortresses of the time.

Extending over 600,000 square meters, surrounded by a  moat (making it impenetrable to an infantry attack) and built into the top of the mountain, no outsider is able to perceive of the size (or the depth) of the complex.  Buildings three stories high make up the interior galleries of the fort, hosting offices, kitchens, cell blocks, and even a church.

Construction began towards the end of the 19th century and finished 40 years after.  Ironically, such was the rate of technological development of the early 20th century that San Cristóbal became practically obsolete as a military fortress by the time it was ready.  Warfare had changed much in conjunction with the first World War, and with the launch of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, San Cristóbal would be needed for other purposes.  The fort was never actually used for defensive means.

Instead, San Cristóbal became a prison, a famous and controversial one which brought an interesting chapter from Spanish Civil War to Pamplona.  In the aftermath of the war, the prison still held inmates and political prisoners from all over Spain, and in less than humane conditions.  It is estimated that over 2000 individuals were imprisoned by the Nationalists during this period.

It was just after the Civial War that San Cristóbal was the scene of one of the most famous prison breaks in European history.  Inmates managed to overcome guards and escape from the fort during mealtime on May 22, 1938.  Their plan was executed almost perfectly, and more than a thousand inmates fled the prison into the surrounding forest and mountain.  However, one guard who lived in Pamplona ran into town to sound the alarm.  The army responded immediately with trucks and flood lights.  Many prisioners gave up escaping immediately but 795 individuals would try to evade the authorities.  Within days, the majority had been tracked and hunted down around the vicinity.  All were either arrested or shot (over 200 deaths reported, some still lay buried in unmarked graves on Ezcaba).  Months later, fugitives were still being picked up trying to escape into France.  Three prisioners were never found.

The unsanitary conditions eventually led to close of the prison in 1945, and San Cristóbal ceased to be of much use to the military (as other than a barracks) or to the authorities.  Since 1991, it has been left to deteriorate, abandoned except for the adventurous who have gained access through an “unofficial entrance” into the tunnels, galleries and cells (go find the passage over the water holding tanks underground, – shown above – absolutely pitch-black and very creepy).  Today, it has been named a “good of cultural interest”, though it is barely acknowledged in Pamplona; perhaps a way of forgetting about the checkered history of a relic so close to home.

• If your Spanish is up to it, there is a documentary on the prison, called Ezkaba, made up of interviews with ex-prisioners who talk about the conditions of the prison, the escape attempt, and the aftermath.

]]> http://www.2pamplona.com/2008/10/feature-san-cristobal-pamplona/feed/ 4 http://www.2pamplona.com/2008/09/the-ciudadela/ http://www.2pamplona.com/2008/09/the-ciudadela/#comments Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:55:24 +0000 txeezy http://2pamplona.wordpress.com/?p=170

On the south end of the Casco Antiguo (Old Town), and on the north end of the newer neighborhood of Iturrama lies La Ciudadela (The Citadel).  Originally a five-star military fortress to protect Pamplona’s southern border, the majority of its impressive walls now host the city’s biggest park, forum and event center.

The Ciudadela was built in 1571 in the Renaissance style of the age to protect what had been a weak chain in the defense of the city.  Before 1571, there existed a castle in the Casco Antiguo that was responsible for its protection (on the site of the Plaza del Castillo), but Felipe II recognized the need a fortress that was capable of handling new technology in munitions and firepower.  The castle at Plaza de Castillo was torn down, and the Ciudadela was ordered to be contstucted.

The 5-point star layout of the Ciudadela is designed to account for every possible angle of an oncoming attack, but in 400 years of military service hardly any shots have been fired against it (there was an episode with Napoleon for example).  Perhaps the greatest threat to the walls has been the city itself, whose growth called for the demolition of two baluartes to accomodate new ensanches, roads and neighborhoods.

Today the layout of Pamplona very much pivots around the old fortifications.  The Ciudadela is now the central park, and the Ayuntamiento (town government) consistently organizes events, concerts, art galleries, and even installed free Wi-Fi, and courts for volleyball, handball and fronton.  The old moats are often swarmed with people jogging, some old walls have even become favorite spots for rock climbing.

The internal section of the Ciudadela, where the art exhibits and some events are held, is open to the public until 9.  The external park does not close, though the walls are only lit until 11 o’clock.  At night, it is an amazing place for a game of Capture the Flag.

You probably could walk from one side of town to the other in less than an hour but just in case you have less time than that, here are a few suggestions of places to go:

1. El Caballo Blanco (one of the best places for a coffee in Pamplona, on the city walls)

2. Walls of Pamplona (Best place to watch the sunset on the foot hills of the Pyrenees. Really, amazing)

For a 360 degree view, click here

3. La Ciudadela (Great fort in the middle of town. Perfect for a football game or writing a novel)

4. Calle Estafeta (Where the bulls run, and great street for Pinchos)

5. La Puerta de Francia( Yeah, this has a totally sweet draw bridge)

6. La Cathedral (Great example of gothic and other styles of arqutecture. Random hours, but there is also a muesum around the corner

7. Parque Taconera there are live animals in this park… including an ALBINO PEACOCK!!!

8. El Rio Arga (Great for biking or BBQ’s… not at the same time)

9. Salir de Pintxos (this is the name for tapas in the north): Go out around 9:30pm and go eat the best bar food in the world. “God I’m so HUNGRY!” Say no more! If there is one thing Navarra has it’s good food. Here’s a few places I recommend for historic and gastronomical reasons:

Bar Iruña: One of Hemingway’s old stomping grounds… he had many as he liked the sauce.                     

Sarria Bar: Also know as “The Ham Bar” by foreigners due to all the cured ham hanging from the ceiling.

Bar Gaucho: Some pintxos can be pricey but for a good reason… the same reason they have won multiple victories during the “Week of the Pincho”