Religious Orders

FRANCISCANS

Estella. It seems to have been founded around 1273 or earlier and is attributed to Theobald II, King of Navarre. In his will, this king had left 2,000 sueldos for the work on the church, on the arches of which he had his royal arms placed. The convent possessed a valuable archive, which has now disappeared, thus depriving it of valuable data and documents for the history of the convent itself and of the city. The king ordered the burial in this church of his son's infant son, who died when he fell from the arms of the wet nurse who was walking him through the galleries of the castle. A magnificent tomb was made and placed inside the presbytery of the convent church. On the sepulchral slab lay a statue representing the infant and around it, in low relief, figures of Franciscans behind the royal coat of arms. In 1524, the convent was inhabited by the Observant Friars Minor. After the exclaustration, the church was opened for worship and later became the town hall. Later, Latin and music classes were opened, it was converted into a fort during the last Carlist war and finally, on the site occupied by the convent, premises were built for primary schools and other services.