The Navarre Kings’ Palace
stands in Plaza San Martin. It is Navarre’s last and only roman
architecture exponent (late XII century). The building’s facades,
with its two ashlar masonry bodies separated by a molding impost,
give the Palace a unique character. The la Rúa façade has columns
at each side. The same are built in a superposed way, and don’t
match the height of the corresponding upper flats’ levels. The left
column’s capital, shows the battle between Rolán and Ferragut, and
is signed by Martines de Logroño. In its horizontal front Rolán
breaks the giant down with a spear. In the other two, Ferragut attacks
Rolán with a thorn ball and a thoroughbred horse. The skillfully
carved figures have quite a long canon. The capital on the right
is decorated with scroll wrapped leafs. Four powerful half point
arches sitting on rectangular pillars, seem to pierce the first
body. The second body has a series of openings in the wall: four
windows divided into four small arches, slightly aimed with exterior
archivolts. They are supported by three small columns, the one at
the center being affixed to the wall. The ones at each end have
finely crafted capitals, which could very well be compared in style
to the neighboring cloister of San Pedro de la Rúa.
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