Pamplona

Pamplona (Spanish: [pamˈplona] ; Basque: Iruña [iɾuɲa]), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near 450 m (1,480 ft) above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood plain of the Arga river, a second-order tributary of the Ebro. Precipitation-wise, it is located in a transitional location between the rainy Atlantic northern façade of the Iberian Peninsula and its drier inland. Early population in the settlement traces back to the late Bronze to early Iron Age, even if the traditional inception date refers to the foundation of Pompaelo by Pompey during the Sertorian Wars circa 75 BC. During Visigothic rule Pamplona became an episcopal see, serving as a staging ground for the Christianization of the area. It later became one of the capitals of the Kingdom of Pamplona/Navarre. The city is famous worldwide for the running of the bulls during the San Fermín festival, which is held annually from 6 July to 14 July. This festival was brought to literary renown with the 1926 publication of Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises. It is also home to Osasuna, the only Navarrese football club to have ever played in the Spanish top division.