The giants of Pamplona Cathedral

About the location

Introduction

The cathedral complex in Pamplona stands out on the European stage as the only complex of its kind to have been preserved in its entirety, keeping the history of its chapter alive since the 11th century. However, its essence is not limited to its architecture, but extends to the complex liturgical life it once harboured. Recently, this legacy has been given a new lease of life thanks to a multidisciplinary project that is reviving one of the cathedral’s most unique and forgotten elements: its troupe of giants. Visitors are offered an immersive experience in which history, dance, music, craftsmanship and technology are interwoven.

Within this complex, the chapter carried out its daily life and duties, with the liturgy taking centre stage, as this was the cathedral’s primary purpose. The liturgy structured the year through the various feasts and solemnities that made up the calendar. With the aim of offering God the most solemn worship possible, stirring the fervour of the people and instructing them in the truths of the faith, the chapter made use of numerous resources that appealed to all the senses: sight (sculpture, painting, gold and silverwork, stained-glass windows, vestments), smell (incense) and hearing (music). These elements came into play at different times, always within the context of the celebration of Mass, the singing of the Divine Office and the holding of processions. Among the processions, the most important were the Corpus Christi procession, which wound its way through the city’s streets, and those on the Feast of the Assumption (15 August) and its octave (22 August), held within the naves and cloister of the cathedral. Both celebrated the two most important aspects of the Catholic faith: Christ (present in the consecrated host) and the Virgin Mary (in the mystery of her Assumption, the devotion to which Pamplona Cathedral was dedicated).

The liturgical context and the use of the senses

Pamplona Cathedral served as a space where the liturgy formed the backbone of the chapter’s daily life. To maximise the devotion and theological instruction of the faithful, the clergy employed a sensory strategy: the use of images (sculpture, stained-glass windows, painting), the scent of incense and music during ceremonies. Within this repertoire of resources, processions occupied a central place, with those of Corpus Christi and the Assumption – the latter being the cathedral’s titular devotion – being the most solemn. During these processions, both in the streets and in the cloister, the ‘gigantes’ (giant figures) were integral elements of the spectacle. They brought colour, splendour, movement and music, whilst helping to enhance the symbolism of the procession.

The origin and disappearance of the cathedral’s giants

Records show that the troupe of giants has been present in the cathedral since at least 1602, although their origins are thought to date back much further. These figures were not merely decorative, but allegorical and symbolic representations of different peoples, races and cultures. They continued to be used until 1780, when they were banned by Charles III. Following their rediscovery in 1813 and their donation to Pamplona City Council in 1839, they were definitively replaced by the current municipal giants in 1860, after which all trace of the original figures disappeared completely.

Reclaiming a lost heritage

200 years on, Pamplona Cathedral has transformed its former choir stalls into a new ‘Hall of the Giants’. This space is designed as an immersive experience in which visitors can delve into the history of the cathedral’s giants. They will also have the opportunity to view two of the six Renaissance figures, meticulously reconstructed on the basis of historical documentation but reinterpreted from a contemporary perspective, in an innovative combination of craftsmanship and new technologies. Through the use of videos, screens and augmented reality, the project allows visitors to delve into the process of constructing the figures and enjoy an audio-visual experience in which the giants come to life through dances and melodies composed especially for the occasion.

What you’ll experience

How you’ll feel

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