Subway galleries of Olite, a treasure of the Middle Ages.

Visit the subway galleries of Olite, a small corner that provides another point of view of the town.

Located next to the Royal Palace, at the foot of the town hall, under the Plaza Carlos III, we find the Underground Galleries of Olite, one of those corners of the town that add up to make this Navarrese enclave one of the best preserved medieval complexes in Europe. After walking through every square and every street of this municipality, every corner, we have realized the similarities between the Rioja Alavesa and Olite (Erriberri in Basque), and is that, in addition to sharing their love for wine, they also share the tranquility of its streets, its medieval aspect, its rural character, its trujales and subway tunnels that we find under the surface. This last aspect is the one that concerns us in this article, the subway galleries of Olite, an independent space, which today houses a small museum on the history and way of life in the Middle Ages. The subway galleries of Olite offer us a short but intense visit, a visit that many omit in their itinerary and that in our case turned out to be an interesting and complementary space to the visit of the Royal Palace. It is clear that everything depends on the tastes of each person. That said, for 1,5€, it is worth the risk, don’t you think?

The visit to the subway galleries of Olite, is entitled “Medieval. The Brightness of an era”, a title that makes clear its nature and the different exhibitions that we find inside. In these galleries the little ones of the house give free rein to their imagination, making reality (in their heads), the legends of castles, princesses and dragons that they see in the movies, where each castle, had secret passages and subway galleries to get out of it without being discovered. Do you dare to know them with us?

Charles III the Noble was known for his eagerness to avoid wars and conflicts, a king who dreamed of uniting the castles of Olite and Tafalla by means of subway galleries and secret passages. In fact, thanks in large part to him, today we enjoy in Olite one of the best preserved medieval complexes in Europe. A complex in which the subway galleries contribute their grain of sand.

History: Although there are no documents that attest to this, experts date the subway galleries of Olite between the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth century, in the late Middle Ages. This date coincides with one of the most important moments of Olite, its golden age, when it reached a great strength in terms of economy and population (more than 5,000 inhabitants). The oldest document that has been found in reference to this medieval structure dates from 1406 (Archivo de Comptos), in which we find annotations on the payments made to the stonemasons for the realization of works around the galleries.

These structures were opened to the public in 1987 after the rehabilitation (emptying and consolidation of foundations) and sanitation of the same, yes, although these are the best preserved, they are not the only structures that were found, there are others. One of the great surprises of the visit to this site, is the discovery of its original nature, and is that, although the galleries are real and may have been able to travel on horseback in the past, the strategic location of the same (at the entrance of the town of Olite), the number of structures found (5) and the appearance of pits near them, confirm for many scholars, the hypothesis that they were the access bridges to the ancient fortified city of Olite. The bridges of the south portal of the “cerco de dentro”. According to several studies, this enclave was used during the Modern Age (from the 15th to the 18th century) as a space where the market or the stonemasons’ workshops were located. Thus, we can say that it went from having an offensive use to a purely social one, reuse in its purest form.

Space: Although the subway galleries of Olite are not visible to the naked eye, we can get an approximate idea of its dimensions through several of the points that are reflected on the surface, its 2 entrances. Although at present its only entrance and exit is located in front of number 27 of the Plaza Carlos III, there is a secondary entrance in front of numbers 10 and 11. An access that today has been covered by a small dome in the form of a triangle with the objective of sealing the access and avoiding the entrance of water. Having said this, we can get an idea of the length, height and width of the medieval galleries of Olite (practically most of the Plaza Carlos III), about 50 meters long, 4 meters high and between 5 and 9 meters wide (approximate measurements). A small and quick to see space, which keeps interesting and original secrets. Its interior is formed by two large parallel tunnels that meet at both ends and whose vault is supported by strong arches, a round trip, in which we find different themes such as clothing or food of the time.

Perfect complement: The subway galleries of Olite form together with the Royal Palace, the Parador (former Royal Palace), the Church of Santa Maria, the medieval center, the church of San Pedro, the wine museum, the wineries and the great gastronomy of the area, the list of things to see and do in the wine capital of Navarra, Olite. And, although we respect all those who prefer to leave this enclave aside, it is clear that it provides interesting data to give us a general idea of the way of life in the Middle Ages. In other words, a perfect complement to the rest of the visits that Olite offers:

Hilarriak: In the Navarrese Pyrenees, in Abaurrea Alta, we find a very special museum, the Hilarriak museum , the museum of funerary stelae. A space that we relate to these subway galleries through the different funerary stelae that we find during the tour. Another aspect that helps us to understand the way of life of the Olitenses in the Middle Ages. If you have visited the museum of Abaurrea Alta, surely you know how to interpret its meaning!

Stone origin of Olite: Although the exposure of the subway galleries is not very large quantitatively speaking, it is in terms of quality. Witness of it is the stone found in the term of Sansomain (Leoz) relative to the foundation of Olite that was donated to the city council by Maria Elena Virto Ciriza. A piece dated around the XII century in whose text can be read: “+++Eologite ++Eon por Svhinthilanem regen”. A small jewel of our history.

Visit to the subway galleries: Our experience began in the Plaza Carlos III, in the center of Olite, next to the town hall. The circumference where the spiral staircases that descend to the level of the galleries is visible from anywhere in the square, you can’t miss it. On the way down, as soon as you enter on the right hand side, a sign indicates the price of the tickets 1,5€. Payment is made at a kind of reception where we are greeted by a very attentive woman who answers our questions forcefully and knowledgeably. We pay the corresponding amount and start the visit to the subway galleries of Olite, nowadays reconverted into a museum and exhibition gallery. In front of us we find 2 passages, left and right, we start with the gallery on our left. The first stage of the visit, shows us by means of panels and in a generic way, the history of the room in which we are located. At the same time it shows us different shields, medieval armor and banners, a perfect setting to introduce us in the Middle Ages. Remember that most of the elements that make up the exhibition of the subway galleries of Olite are reproductions, few are original.

We follow the route until we find panels that show us the territory that covers the area of Navarra in which we are, the Middle Zone. 665 square kilometers in which we find the municipalities of Tafalla, Olite, Artajona, Mendigorria, Muruzabal de Andion, Larraga, Miranda de Arga, Berbinzana, Beire, Pililas, Ujue and San Martín de Unx, lands where the Navarrese monarch Carlos III the Noble lived.

In the same gallery, in the final section, we find a table with embroidered napkins and table linen together with the type of tableware that Charles III could use at that time, curious.

We arrive at the end of the first gallery, to the spiral stairs that we find at the other end, next to them, half stacked, we can appreciate a few funerary stelae and other pieces not exposed.

We turned 180 degrees and began to visit the second gallery, in it, the first exhibition that we found is that of the costumes of the time, a reproduction of medieval costumes. Undoubtedly, the most complete exhibition of the galleries of Olite. We must take into account that in the fourteenth century most of the inhabitants of Navarre created their own cloths and dresses, only a minority, the nobles, had enough money to have their clothes made by third parties. This collection shows how fabrics and social status were closely linked in the Middle Ages. A clear indication of the power of a family.

Finally, we find the recreation of an eighteenth-century apothecary, a small space accompanied by the occasional solitary piece that completes the exhibition.

Type of visit: Unfortunately it is a self-guided visit, without a guide. A type of visit to which we are very accustomed and that would go unnoticed if we had not listened to some of the explanations that the person in charge of the galleries gave to anyone who asked about any question about the Middle Ages, Olite or the galleries themselves. A person full of wisdom and love for her land. With this brief phrase we can summarize what we perceive of the lady that we find at the entrance, as soon as we enter on the right hand side, in a kind of reception. A wasted qualities, which could well be used to make a couple of guided tours a day, a pity. As I said, do not stay with the desire, ask any questions that comes to mind. All this does not detract from the fact that the information panels that we find on our way, tell us perfectly what we find next to them. It is time to read.

Price: The value for money of this museum in Navarre seems to us to be adequate. Reduced price, reduced visit, but not reduced quality. Many of the people who visited the galleries at the same time as us said that it was a very short visit and a small collection, but I do not think they can reproach us for saying that it is a space of great interest and totally different from others we have visited.

These galleries are part of that legendary world called the Middle Ages. Some curious underground medieval galleries that, like the town of Olite itself, are small but intense. We look forward to your comments!