The ancient little town of Estella, lying on the Río Ega well away from the main traffic routes, was founded by King Sancho Ramírez in 1090 on the site of an earlier Roman settlement. During the Middle Ages it was an occasional residence of the kings of Navarre and a staging-point on the pilgrims' road
to Santiago de Compostela, the Way of St James. A 12th century guide for pilgrims describes it as a hospitable city. The Jews and Franks (Frenchmen, foreigners) who were encouraged by the kings of Navarre to settle in Estella lived in their own separate quarters of the town and contributed to its prosperity - still evidenced by its many towers and palaces.
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