Urban Landscapes

Wine Landscapes in Castillo de Monjardín

Navarra, Spain

Quality wines have been produced in Castillo de Monjardin for many decades. In more recent times, new wine cellars- Bodegas – have been designed as emblematic architectures, while the wine landscapes were deliberately more integrated into the existing historic heritage of Navarra. In particular, a wine route has been turned into a part of the pilgrimage way of Santiago de Compostela.

The Fundacion Metropoli proposed to incorporate a series of historic landmarks into the development project of Monjardin’s wine landscape. Besides the existing wine cellars this includes the prominent castle of Monjardin, and a greater integration of the rural village of Villamayor into a wider wine landscape. The recently built motorway connecting Monjardin to the regional capitals of Logrono and Pamplona provides the area with much better accessibility and brings it closer to Estella and the pilgrimage way of Santiago. This new proximity of half an hour’s drive enhances the chances for rural tourism and visits of this wine culture. Many features are already present in this wine landscape, but the new design, including housing blotted into the natural slopes, is binding them together to create a synergy between the castle, the various villages, the land sculptures, the ancient wine cellars, the new Bodegas with their innovative architecture, while connecting these features more closely to the forests, the golf courses and the agricultural landscapes, as well as with the pilgrimage way.