Discover Aspurz

Aspurz, Navascués and Ustés make up the historic Almiradío de Navascués, regarded as the southern gateway to the Navarrese Pyrenees. In Aspurz itself, different periods meet: the Iglesia de San Clemente preserves works of art from the 14th and 15th centuries, while the Cueva de Ososki contains remains from the Bronze Age and Roman period. The Foz de Aspurz adds a natural dimension to this architectural and archaeological history.

Church architecture and works of art

The Iglesia de San Clemente is a stone church with a single-nave floor plan, a straight-ended apse and a barrel vault with lunettes. A single-nave floor plan describes the main space as one nave; a straight-ended apse refers to the shape of the choir’s end. Together, these architectural features give an impression of the church’s layout and design. The church houses two polychrome works of art from different centuries: a statue of the Virgin and Child in the Franco-Gothic style from the 14th century, and a Gothic Germanic crucifix from the 15th century. Polychrome means decorated in multiple colors. Both works share this colorful finish, but differ in subject, stylistic classification and date.

Archaeological traces in the Cueva de Ososki

The Cueva de Ososki, also known as the Cueva del Moro, contains remains from the Bronze Age and the Roman period. Its entrance opens high up in a red rock face on the right bank of the Salazar River. Finds associated with the cave include pottery sherds, which form part of one of the most extensive collections of Bronze Age cave pottery in Navarre; they were recorded during a rapid surface survey. The two names refer to the same cave, while the finds point to two different periods. An archaeological description reports that access was very difficult and mentions a section of smooth rock, almost four meters high, that had to be climbed at the end of the ascent. As this description records historical conditions, check current access before visiting.

Cliffs and birdlife of the Foz

The Foz de Aspurz is included in the Zona Especial de Conservación Río Salazar. Its cliffs are home to Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus), griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus), peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) and red-billed choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax); individual populations may vary. The Foz thus brings together two aspects: its protected-area status and the specifically named bird species found on its cliffs. This natural setting adds to Aspurz’s artistic and archaeological history, while offering a different kind of interest.

Bridge and traditional pilgrimage

The Puente de la Foz del Diablo crosses the Salazar River in the direction of Aspurz. It is another named structure, while the Iglesia de San Clemente is described through its architecture and works of art. The traditional pilgrimage also follows a clearly structured sequence: in the morning, a procession proceeds to the foot of the mountain while the rosary is recited; the ascent follows. Prayer and the route thus form two successive parts of the ritual. Together with the church, cave and Foz, this tradition offers a distinct insight into the cultural themes of the place.

Discover more destinations: Ablitas, Cizur Menor, Mutilva Baja, Egüés, Mélida, Villanueva de Arce, Genevilla, Zariquiegui

For the full travel overview: Navarra.