Ruinas de la ermita de San Miguel de Afuera

The ruins of the Ermita de San Miguel de Afuera sit above Tudela, in Spain's Navarre region, marking the spot where a modest medieval chapel stood for over four and a half centuries on Monte Canraso, beside the old path toward Cuesta de los Avellanos. Nothing of the building remains above ground today — its foundations only resurfaced through archaeological work, and the site sits on land fenced off from casual visits. Still, it's a worthwhile stop for anyone tracing the layered history of Tudela and its former Jewish community.

Where does the name come from?

The tag "de Afuera" ("the outer one") distinguished this hermitage from another church dedicated to the same saint, San Miguel "de dentro," which stood inside the city walls on the street that still bears his name. The hillside chapel on Monte Canraso already existed by 1322, confirmed by surviving parchments listing members of its religious brotherhood. It was dedicated to the Archangel Michael.

Who looked after the chapel?

The building was maintained by a herders' brotherhood known as the "Ligallos," an association of livestock keepers typical of pastoral communities straddling the Navarre-Aragon border. For its members, the chapel served as a place of worship tied to the grazing routes on the hills surrounding the city.

What did the building look like?

The hermitage followed a simple single-nave plan with a semicircular apse, walls of roughly hewn stone, and a stone bench along the interior for worshippers. A lightweight timber roof covered with tiles topped the structure, and instead of a bell tower it likely had only a small bell-gable on the roof ridge. The altar stood on a raised platform, about 40 centimeters above floor level.

What happened to it?

The chapel was torn down in 1781, part of a broader pattern of dismantling small out-of-town hermitages across the region at the time. Despite its demolition, the site apparently kept some strategic value: records suggest it may have been reused as a defensive position during the war against Napoleon in 1808, in the skirmishes known as the Battle of Tudela.

What did the excavations uncover?

The hermitage's foundations only came to light in 1998, during archaeological work led by Juan José Bienes at El Palenque, Tudela's former Jewish necropolis. Around the chapel's remains, archaeologists found graves oriented east-west, consistent with Christian burial practice, along with lead musket balls left over from the Franco-Spanish fighting. A single burial was also found beneath the altar itself.

How do you get there, and can you actually visit?

The El Palenque grounds, where the remains lie, are municipal property and remain fenced — the area has historically housed, and still partly houses, the city's water supply infrastructure. It isn't set up as a formal tourist site with a marked route or opening hours. Anyone interested should check current details with Tudela's tourist office, which occasionally runs themed walks covering the city's Jewish heritage. Pairing such a walk with a visit to Tudela's historic center — where traces of the former Jewish quarter and the Santa María cathedral survive — rounds out the picture.

When's the best time to go?

The Ribera de Navarra region, where Tudela sits, has hot summers, so spring or autumn suit hillside walks better, when temperatures are milder. It's worth confirming access beforehand, since the fenced status of the land can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Can you actually see the ruins of the Ermita de San Miguel de Afuera? The foundations were uncovered during a 1998 excavation, but the land is fenced off as municipal property, so free access isn't possible. Check with Tudela's tourist office about any organized visits.

Where exactly did the hermitage stand? On Monte Canraso, along the old path to Cuesta de los Avellanos, within the area known as El Palenque, Tudela's former Jewish necropolis.

Why isn't the chapel there anymore? It was demolished in 1781. Its foundations stayed hidden until an archaeological dig uncovered them more than two centuries later.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Tudela's historic center, with its former Jewish quarter and the Santa María cathedral, makes a natural complement to a visit focused on this site's history.