Between tower-houses and palaces

The 16th century sustained the glorified days of the powerful medieval families and was host to a number of other socially emergent contemporary families.

The local elite continued to build their homes in the Renaissance style and close contact is maintained with nearby economic strongholds. Many locals partake in positions as royal secretaries, scribes and other administrative tasks, wile very few choose to emigrate. A sign of this flourishing period is the change in the tower-houses, which begin to lose their military character in favor of a more lavish and domestic appearance, as well as being subject to significant structural changes. A wide variety of tower dwellings and palaces can still be found in the land of Saint Ignatius.

After visiting the Antxieta House in Azpeitia, home and birthplace of the famous musician, Juan de Antxieta, with its original mudejar facade, we can see the tower-houses of the Balda and Floreaga families in Azkoitia, splendid mudejar palaces from the first half of the 16th century, with facades punctuated by a gracefully vaulted three-storey gallery. In Zumarraga, we can find the home locally known as the Tower-House of Legazpi, which is the birth place of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, colonizer of the Philippine Islands. Not too far away, in the town of Urretxu and on the base of Mount Irimo, we can admire the solid and majestic Tower-House of the Ipeñarrieta family, erected in the early 17th century.

The historic quarter of Bergara has a remarkably high concentration of palaces and tower dwellings. The palaces of Arrese and Azkarate-Marutegi have splendid corner balconies; the latter, on the side of San Pedro Street, also has a peculiar facade decorated with 53 magnificent ceramic plaques of German origin that have been dated to the early 16th century. The palace of Aroztegi boasts a huge archway entrance and a richly decorated plateresque door. Also of interest are the Jauregi House, with relief sculpture dated to 1500 on the main facade; the robust Tower of Olaso, with elegant pinnacle sentry boxes at the corners, and the House of Comendador Ondartza, boasting the imperial coat of arms of Carlos V with an eagle on the main facade. The Palace of Egino-Mallea and the Towers of Gabiria and Ozaeta are also noteworthy architectural examples from the 16th century.

In Arrasate's historic quarter, beside the parish church of San Juan Bautista, we can find the Houses of Artazubiaga and Andikano-Zelaa. The town of Leintz Gatzaga has a fascinating historic quarter with access through the Portal of Saint Ignatius; once inside, we can go and see the Palace of Elexalde. And finally, in Eskoriatza, there is the Palace of Ibarraundi, today a museum, and in Aretxabaleta, the church of Aozaratza and, amidst the natural landscape of Urkulu, the tower- house of Otalora.

J.A. Gil Massa: Urbanism and civil architecture in Bergara. S. XIII.XVIII