Sanctuaries of the Basque Country: Loyola, Arantzazu, Javier, Leyre, Eunate and Roncesvalles

You don’t need to be a pilgrim to be moved by these places. Set among mountains, valleys and Camino routes, here are six sanctuaries that tell the religious and artistic story of the Basque Country and Navarre.

Loyola (Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa)

In the Loyola district of Azpeitia, on the banks of the Urola, a vast Baroque complex was built around the tower house where St Ignatius of Loyola was born (in 1491), founder of the Society of Jesus. The design is by the architect Carlo Fontana, and the work stretched across the 17th and 18th centuries. The basilica’s dome measures 20 m in diameter and stands 65 m high on the outside, including the lantern; the circular interior is decorated with marble in the Churrigueresque style.

Arantzazu (Oñati, Gipuzkoa)

At 750 m above sea level, near Oñati, tradition has it that around 1468 a shepherd found a statue of the Virgin in a thorn bush and cried out ‘Arantzan zu?’ (‘You, among the thorns?’). The basilica, built between 1950 and 1955 by the architects Sáenz de Oiza and Luis Laorga, is a manifesto of 20th-century Basque art: diamond-point stonework recalling the thorns, apostles by Jorge Oteiza on the façade, iron doors by Eduardo Chillida, an apse by Lucio Muñoz and paintings in the crypt by Néstor Basterretxea.

Javier Castle (Navarre)

52 km east of Pamplona (Iruñea), near Sangüesa, Javier Castle dates back to the 10th century. It is the birthplace of St Francis Xavier, patron saint of Navarre. Every year in early March, the Javierada draws crowds of pilgrims in his honour. See also our guide to Pamplona.

Leyre Monastery (Navarre)

On the southern slope of the Sierra de Leyre, above the Yesa Reservoir, the Monastery of San Salvador de Leyre is one of the most important in Spain. Mentioned as early as 851, it was home to the episcopal see and the royal court from about 860 to 1023, and holds the remains of the first kings of Pamplona. Highlights include the Romanesque crypt, the 11th- and 12th-century church and the Porta Speciosa, signed by Master Esteban. Benedictine monks have lived here again since 1954.

Santa María de Eunate (Navarre)

Two kilometres from Muruzábal, this Romanesque church from the second half of the 12th century is striking for its octagonal plan and the gallery of 33 arches that surrounds it. It stands at the point where the Camino routes from Somport and Roncesvalles meet. Scallop shells found in graves suggest that it took in pilgrims. Its reputation as a ‘Templar’ church rests on no documentary evidence.

Roncesvalles Collegiate Church (Navarre)

The first major stop on the Camino Francés after the Pyrenees, Roncesvalles is home to the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María, founded in the early 13th century (between 1215 and 1221) by King Sancho VII the Strong, who chose to be buried there. It is the finest example of Gothic architecture in Navarre, inspired by the Île-de-France. It holds a wooden Virgin covered in silver, made in Toulouse in the 14th century. To walk there from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: the stage in detail, and preparing for your Camino.

Further reading

• Camino routes in France and the French Basque Country
• The Camino del Norte in the Basque Country

Sources

• Wikipedia (es): Santuario de Loyola, Santuario de Arantzazu, Castillo de Javier, Monasterio de Leyre, Santa María de Eunate, Colegiata de Roncesvalles

Ongi etorri — enjoy your visit!