Sanctuary of Arantzazu

Oñati (Debagoiena)

 

Finally, there can be no doubt about the presence of Saint Ignatius once inside the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Arantzazu, in Oñati, the destination of his first stage, a place for nocturnal meditations and, according to the accounts of some historians, where he took his vows of chastity.

Little is left of the primitive sanctuary and the current complex is a brilliant example of contemporary Basque art. In the middle of a gulch, the svelte profile of the sacred building, the work of designers Sainz de Oiza and Laorga, with the main decorative elements of limestone, diamond-textured towers, as a continuity of the karst-like landscape and a reflection of the sharp needles of the porcupine. The façade is dominated by a frieze with the 14 apostles, designed by sculptor Jorge Oteiza