February 21st 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Maximiano Hijón Ibarra. To mark the occasion, a book entitled Maximiano Hijón, el arte de la Arquitectura Urbana, written by Bruno Calleja Escalona, was published on the eve of the bicentenary on February 20th. This institution, together with the Pregón magazine, has also organised an exhibition throughout the month of February that covers the professional career of this architect.
Maximiano Hijón was born in Logroño in 1825 and trained as an architect at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts, where he graduated in 1846. He spent the first years of his career Logroño and Madrid, and soon stood out for his interest in the conservation of monuments. At this time, he proposed the creation of a museum in the Church of San Bartolomé in Logroño, where the pieces that had been recovered from the disentailed monasteries of the province would be housed.
Also, in 1855, he was appointed Municipal Architect of Logroño, where he carried out some important public works, as well as building what was to be his house, which was located at the back of his father's house. This building would bring together many of the elements that Hijón had come to know during his stay in Madrid and which he would apply in his later works in Navarre, such as the lion's heads, the garlands and medallions, as well as the double staircases.However, it was not until 1858 that he was appointed Director of Roads in the Southern Zone of Navarre and a year later he took up residence in Pamplona.He was soon commissioned to design a building to house the Secondary School, which Hijón solved by introducing a metal structure, something that had not been seen before in the city and which meant that he was present at the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876.
He was also commissioned to design and compose the iconographic programme for the Throne Room of the Palacio de la Diputación, which was part of the preparations for a visit that Queen Isabella II was to have made to Pamplona and which was finally cancelled, and for which Hijón was in charge of the iconographic programme.
For the Throne Room, Hijón had to select and contract the artists, among whom was his own nephew Constancio López Corona, who painted three royal portraits and some of the scenes in the room.
In 1859 Hijón was admitted as a member of the Casino Principal on Paseo Sarasate. His works did not only focus on Pamplona, as in 1861 he signed a project for the construction of the Venta de San Fermín, located Cadreita and Villafranca, as well as an arch that was installed that year in Cortes to receive the King.Maximiano Hijón's legacy was not only the construction of new buildings, but he was also one of the forerunners in the conservation of monuments, being a member of the Commission for Historical and Artistic Monuments of Navarre, where, in collaboration with important firms such as Juan Iturralde y Suit and Pablo Ilarregui, he signed the revocation of the Disentailment of the Monastery of Leyre, thus preventing it from being destroyed. He also worked on the conservation of the Hermitage of Eunate and the building of the Chamber of Comptos. His name appears in many of the minutes of this commission, attending different events related to disentailed monasteries in the Community.
Hijón remained in Pamplona at least until 1867, when he returned to Logroño, although he left important contacts with his Navarrese colleagues, with whom he wrote letters, in which, for example, he pointed out his interest in numismatics.
In Logroño, he was appointed Provincial Architect, as well as acting as municipal architect when the post became vacant. He will also work as Diocesan Architect, carrying out important work in the restoration of numerous churches in different places that were part of the Diocese at that time.Once in Logroño, Maximiano Hijón married his niece Estéfana López Corona in the church of Palacio. We will find her and her sister Rosa taking part in the parties and soirées that Hijón offered in his house and which were of great interest to his fellow citizens. After her death in 1882, Hijón married Rosa López Corona, her sister, this time in the Basilica of San Agustín in Rome.
Despite living in Logroño, Hijón was called upon in 1884 by the Crédito Navarro to design a new residential building to be located at number 44, Plaza del Castillo. As he had already done with the Instituto de Segunda Enseñanza, he used a metal structure, made in Belgium. After the construction of the new building, the first floor will house the Sociedad Nuevo Casino Principal, heir to the Casino Principal, and the Café Iruña, also attributed to Hijón, will open its doors on the ground floor. In the decoration of the building, we can see elements characteristic of Hijón's work, as well as others that could well have been taken from his trip to Italy.
In 1887, Hijón was commissioned to build some municipal schools for the town of Tafalla, which are currently housed in the Ikastola of that municipality.
After a prolific life, Hijón died in Logroño on 12 July 1891 at his home in Calle Herrerías. His death was widely noted throughout society at the time. Until now, Hijón had not been identified in any portrait or photograph, however, thanks to the research of Bruno Calleja Escalona, it has been possible to identify a portrait, possibly by Constancio López Corona and in the custody of Logroño Town Hall, in which Hijón is depicted holding in his hand the plan of the Throne Room of the Palace of Navarre. Hijón has also been identified in a drawing made in 1864 by Juan Iturralde y Suit on an excursion to Mount Aralar.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)