La Higa

The Higa de Monreal is the mountain that culminates in the northeast of the Sierra de Alaiz, located south-east of Pamplona. At its summit, at about 1289 m high, there is a small hermitage that houses the patron saint of the town of Monreal, Santa Bárbara, a 1000 W DTT television repeater (the main one in the entire Navarra) belonging to Cellnex, another from RNE of 50 kW, and until June 2011 another from DAB radio. At its foot is the town of Monreal, a crossing point on the Camino de Santiago, which was once used by the Kings of Navarra as a hunting residence.

Geography

La Higa is located at the eastern end of the Sierra de Alaiz, constituting the highest altitude (1,289 m) compared to the 980 of the Peña de Unzué located at the western end of the mountain range. With a noticeably pyramidal shape, it stands out clearly from the rest of the mountain range, being visible and recognizable from most of the Pamplona basin. POT 3 of the Central Area of Navarra protects it as a unique landscape.

A good part of the Higa is included in the Public Utility Mountain No. 167, although this mountain includes, together with land located in the Sierra de Alaiz, the mountains called Arizguibe and Azarracoa, located to the north of the municipal area and separated from the Sierra de Alaiz through the valley used by the A-21 Pyrenees highway.

Toponymy

Relying on the database of the Official Toponymy of Navarra, it is documented since 1094 it was called Hiiga, Yhiga... which suggests "ihi" (reed) + the abundant "-ga" (abundant in reeds, juncal, junquera).

Arturo Campión baptized it, less than a century ago, as Elomendi ("Monte de Monreal") by metonymy with the Monreal people, whose Equivalent topomino in Basque is ''Elo", plus the suffix ''-mendi'' (mount in Basque). Julio Caro Baroja tends to mention, when it exists, place names in both languages, he endorses it in the case of Monreal, but not, as he mentions, for «the famous Higa or Iga».

Finally, and expressly, this is recognized by José María Jimeno Jurio in 1996, who calls it "neologism" lacking written and oral tradition. Even states that in documentation, from the Middle Ages to the XVIII century, it was known by that name, without an article: &# 39;'The cross of Yga'', the ''Higa mountain range'& #39;, the ''hermitage of Yga''. It is in the middle of the 20th century when the feminine definite article was added: ''La Higa''. Since July 15, 1994, it has been the official name even when it does not have that historical foundation.

In the official toponymy such term is not even mentioned. Despite this, many still today repeat Campión's false interpretation. As Mikel Belasko rightly says "Anyone who doubts the Basqueness of Higa should be reminded that the back part of Higa is called Higaguibela, a hill is called Higalepo and its lower part Higaondoa".

Hermitage of Santa Bárbara

It is the only one standing of the eight that the town once had. It was located at the top of the mountain, but radio and television works in 1977 forced it to be moved a few meters lower.

Nor does Fernando Pérez Ollo, in his work Ermitas de Navarra, which compiles and reviews the existing and missing hermitages in Navarra, in the chapter on Monreal mention on occasion some reference to such denominations (neither Elomendi nor La Higa) in line with what Jimeno Jurío later pointed out. Especially when he mentions the hermitage of «Santa Bárbara. At the top of the Higa. Monreal went up to the Higa on the May Cross.» It does indicate, however, later, that such a day, to which the parish of Elorz joined, was called Elizabesta.

In 1939 this hermitage received the roof of the hermitage of Santiago, near Yárnoz, "looted by inclement Sunday residents", cleaned up, rebuilt by the then Provincial Council of Navarra in 1977 using, for this purpose, also, the cover of the hermitage of San Babil. According to records, the new hermitage was blessed on September 25.