The encierro route that runners take every morning during San Fermin is often described as ancient and unchanging, a path that has been the same for centuries. This description is partially true but fundamentally incomplete. The route has evolved significantly since the 14th century, with modifications driven by changes to the city’s infrastructure, the location of the bullring, and the practical experience of managing bulls through medieval streets. However, the core principle of the route has remained constant: to move bulls from the edge of the old city to the end of the route. Understanding how the route came to be what it is today gives runners and spectators a deeper appreciation for why certain sections of the route exist and why the geometry is what it is. The history of the route is also the history of San Fermin itself, and the two are inseparable.
The Oldest Parts of the Route: Santo Domingo and the Town Hall
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the oldest and most constant parts of the encierro route are Santo Domingo and the run past the Town Hall (Plaza Consistorial). These sections have been part of the route since the encierro was first formalized as a herding operation, beginning in the 14th century. Dennis notes this continuity:
“Going past town hall, going up Santo Domingo, those are kind of constant parts of the run route.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
The choice of Santo Domingo as the primary street for the bulls to run up makes sense geographically. It is a natural line from the edges of the old city toward the interior, with a steep incline that slows the herd and makes them manageable. The plaza in front of the town hall is a natural gathering point and the intersection where the route could efficiently turn toward other streets depending on where the bullring was located at any given historical period.
The Route Changes with the Bullring Location
The encierro route has changed multiple times because the bullring itself has moved. Dennis explains this relationship:
“The Plaza De Castillo used to be the place of a temporary bull ring. Before that, it was a castle. So there have been small changes to the run route over the years.”
Dennis Clancey, Founder of Encierro and member of La Única Peña
This is the key to understanding the route’s evolution. The encierro exists because bulls need to be moved from a holding area to a bullring. The route is determined by the location of the bullring. When the bullring moves, the route adapts. According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the Plaza del Castillo served as a temporary bullring location before a permanent bullring was constructed. The route passed through the plaza at that time. As the city developed and the bullring location changed, the route adapted accordingly.
The 14th Century: The Encierro Begins
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the encierro as an organized herding operation began in the 14th century. In those early centuries, the bulls were moved with the assistance of herders on horseback. A horn player or bugle player accompanied the herd as a warning to anyone who might be in the street to get out of the way. The term used was “entrada” meaning entrance, not yet “encierro.” The official rules and regulations were not established until 1867.
In these early centuries, shopkeepers, traders, and bystanders would stand in the streets to watch the herd pass. Some brave or foolish individuals began running in front of the herd. This custom gradually became more common, and by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the running of the bulls had evolved into a recognized part of the fiesta.
The 17th and 18th Centuries: Runners Join the Tradition
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), new laws in Pamplona during the 17th century allowed more people to accompany the herd on foot. This marked the transition from a purely herding operation to an event that included civilian runners. The term “encierro,” meaning to encircle or enclose, gradually became more common during this period, though “entrada” was still used.
The addition of runners transformed the character of the event. It was no longer simply the movement of livestock. It became a phenomenon that drew spectators and participants. This shift is documented in detail in “Encierro!” (2003), where Dowsett traces how the participation of runners created new challenges for authorities and new management requirements.
The 1844 Change: The Fixed Plaza
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), in 1844 a fixed plaza was built in Pamplona, which changed the route. Prior to this, temporary locations had been used, and the encierro route reflected this temporary nature. The construction of a fixed destination meant that the route could be fixed as well. This was a significant moment in the formalization of the encierro.
The 1867 Decree: The First Official Rules
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the year 1867 marks the first regulatory decree governing the encierro. This was when official rules and regulations were laid out for the first time. The rules established how the route would be managed, who could participate, and what expectations existed for behavior on the route. The regulatory decree also established Calle Estafeta as a primary part of the encierro route, solidifying its role as the longest straight section.
The establishment of official rules was not arbitrary. It was a practical response to the growth of the encierro as a formal event. Without rules, the event became chaotic and dangerous. The 1867 decree brought the first systematic approach to managing both the bulls and the runners.
The 1922 Event: The Current Route Becomes Fixed
According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the year 1922 marks a crucial turning point. A new bullring was inaugurated in Pamplona, and the encierro route was fixed to its present 875-meter course. The route now runs from the Corrales del Santo Domingo, up Santo Domingo, through the plaza, through Mercaderes, up Estafeta, and through the final Telefonica section directly into the new bullring.
The architecture of the turn at La Curva de Estafeta was designed to smoothly transition the herd from Mercaderes into Estafeta. According to Mat Dowsett, the original curve was more square and did not naturally draw the bulls around the corner. Over decades of experience, the barrier placement and street geometry were refined to create the more gradual arc that now exists. The course became what it is through iterative refinement, learning from experience.
The 2005 Innovation: Anti-Slip Treatment
According to Mat Dowsett’s historical documentation and Dennis’s experience, the route was modified in 2005 with the introduction of anti-slip treatment to the cobblestones at key locations like La Curva. This treatment, which cleans the pores of the stones to increase traction, was the first significant modification to the actual surface of the route since the 1998 removal of raised pavements on Estafeta and Mercaderes.
The anti-slip treatment reflects the continuing commitment to making the route functional. The treatment reduces slipping, reduces falls, and improves the efficiency with which the bulls can run the course. The placement of the treatment reveals where the city considers the route most vulnerable to surface conditions that could endanger the herd or the runners.
Routes Changed with Bullring Location
Historically, before 1922, the encierro route changed as the bullring location changed. According to Mat Dowsett in “Encierro!” (2003), the route previously went up Santo Domingo, past the town hall, and then turned up a street called Chapitela. This routing reflected the location of a temporary bullring at that time. When the permanent bullring was constructed, the route was adapted to connect efficiently to the new location.
This historical perspective underscores that the encierro route is not ancient tradition carved in stone. It is a practical solution to a practical problem: moving bulls efficiently and safely from a holding point to a bullring. The route has changed when the bullring has moved. It has been refined when experience revealed opportunities for improvement. What has remained constant is the purpose and the core principle.
The Route as Living History
Every section of the encierro route tells a historical story. Santo Domingo’s incline reflects how the route was designed to move bulls uphill, using gravity and topography as natural management tools. Mercaderes’ narrowness reflects its origin as a merchant street in the medieval city. La Curva de Estafeta’s sharp turn is an artifact of the city’s street grid, refined over decades into its current geometry. Estafeta’s length and the facades of its buildings reflect the old city’s architecture, which the encierro route does not override or destroy but instead runs through.
The encierro route is not preserved because it is ancient. It is preserved because it works. It works because it has been tested and refined through centuries of experience. A runner standing on the route is standing in a space that has been shaped by history, but the route itself is not static. It continues to evolve as the city learns and as conditions require.
Vocabulario: Spanish Terms Related to Route History
Encierro (en-see-EHR-roh): To encircle or enclose; the term for the running of the bulls.
Entrada (en-TRAH-dah): Entrance; the historical term for what is now called the encierro.
Calle Estafeta (KAH-yeh es-tah-FEH-tah): The longest straight section of the route, established in official regulation in 1867.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has the encierro route been the same?
The current 875-meter route has been fixed since 1922 when the current bullring was inaugurated. Before that, the route changed as the location of the bullring changed. Santo Domingo and the town hall have been part of the route since the encierro began in the 14th century. But the route as it exists today is not ancient; it is about 100 years old.
What parts of the route are the oldest?
Santo Domingo and the section past the Town Hall (Plaza Consistorial) are the oldest continuous parts of the route, dating back to the 14th century. These represent the original herding path from the edges of the city toward the interior and toward wherever the bullring was located at any given time.
Why has the route changed over the centuries?
The encierro route exists to move bulls from a holding area to a bullring. When the bullring location changed, the route had to adapt. The Plaza del Castillo served as a temporary bullring location in the past. When the permanent bullring was built in 1922, the route was fixed to connect to that location. The route is practical and functional, not primarily traditional.
Has the surface of the route changed?
Yes. In 1998, raised pavements on Estafeta and Mercaderes were removed, smoothing the transition between streets. In 2005, anti-slip treatment was applied to the cobblestones at key locations like La Curva. These changes reflect the continuing effort to make the route functional and safer for both bulls and runners.
Understand the Route’s History and Its Living Present
The encierro route is a living artifact of Pamplona’s history, continuously refined through centuries of experience. Our preparation sessions include the historical context of the route, helping you understand not just where you are but why the route is what it is. Learn the full route geography and its history, or book a tour with Encierro and walk the streets that have been running bulls for nearly 700 years.