Casa Elizondo

Casa Elizondo is one of the historic granaries, or hórreos, standing in Hiriberri / Villanueva de Aézcoa, a small village in the Aezkoa valley in northern Navarre. Surrounded by stone houses and other granaries, it forms part of what is considered one of the best-preserved groups of this type of structure in Navarre.

What kind of building is it?

A hórreo is a traditional raised granary typical of rural architecture in northern Spain, used for storing grain safely away from damp ground and rodents. Casa Elizondo is one of four such granaries surviving in Hiriberri, alongside Erreka, Portal and Jauki. Each is raised on stone supports shaped like pyramids or truncated cones — a simple but effective design that kept moisture and pests away from the stored harvest. This building method has survived in the Aezkoa valley for centuries and stands today as a direct link to the everyday farming and herding economy of the mountain communities that built it.

Where exactly is it located?

The granary stands at the heart of Hiriberri / Villanueva de Aézcoa, a village lying at the foot of Mount Berrendi and regarded as one of the gateways into the Irati forest, one of the largest and best-preserved beech and fir forests in Europe. Its coordinates are 42.9455° N, -1.2304° W. Close by are the parish church of San Salvador and another of the village's historic granaries, Casa Reca (Erreka).

Why is it worth seeing?

Hiriberri / Villanueva de Aézcoa is one of the oldest municipalities in the Aezkoa valley and still preserves a good deal of stone architecture from the 16th to 18th centuries, including large, sometimes heraldically decorated manor houses. The set of four hórreos, including Casa Elizondo, is considered the richest and best-preserved collection of its kind in the region, which is why it is protected as part of the local cultural heritage. For visitors exploring the Aezkoa valley, it offers a chance to see a genuine, still-standing example of centuries-old rural utility architecture rather than a reconstruction.

How to get there and what to combine it with?

The village sits at the heart of the Aezkoa valley, on routes leading into the Irati forest and the surrounding Pyrenean foothills. A walk through Hiriberri to see its historic houses and granaries pairs well with a longer hike or drive into the forest itself, particularly in autumn, when the beech woods of Irati take on their striking seasonal colours.

Frequently asked questions

What is Casa Elizondo? It is one of four historic raised granaries (hórreos) preserved in Hiriberri / Villanueva de Aézcoa, built on stone supports designed to protect grain from damp and rodents.

Where is Casa Elizondo located? In the centre of the village of Hiriberri / Villanueva de Aézcoa, in the Aezkoa valley in northern Navarre, near the church of San Salvador and the granary Casa Reca.

Is Casa Elizondo a protected heritage site? The group of hórreos in Hiriberri, which includes Casa Elizondo, is regarded as the best-preserved collection of its kind in Navarre and is protected as part of the region's cultural heritage.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Visitors can also see the other nearby granaries (Erreka, Portal, Jauki), the church of San Salvador, and take a trip into the Irati forest, for which Hiriberri serves as one of the entry points.