Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu

Oñati, Spain

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu is a Franciscan sanctuary located in Oñati. The shrine is a much appreciated place among Gipuzkoans, with the Virgin of Arantzazu being the sanctuary's namesake and patron saint of the province along with Ignatius of Loyola.

The place benefits from the highland silence and peaceful atmosphere of the Aizkorri mountain range along with a good road infrastructure, so the place is frequently visited by devotees and regional and foreign tourists alike. It is located in the site where presumably the Virgin of Arantzazu appeared to the shepherd Rodrigo de Balanzategui in 1468.

The place is also a starting point for several mountains trails and circuits for hikers that provide access to the meadows of Urbia and on to the mountain range Aizkorri, to the massif Aloña and to the lands south and east of the shrine. All the trails are well signalled.

In 1950 the works for the new basilica were started, and the building was inaugurated five years later.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1950-1955
Category: Religious sites in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Matilda von Sydow (3 years ago)
Interesting architecture and a nice view of the hillsides around the area. The best part was the various stained glass windows inside the church, they were really creative with great colours. And a very cute and cuddly cat. The public toilets had no seats and were pretty filthy.
JB Tristant (4 years ago)
Beautiful sanctuary to visit. The church is beautiful inside and out.
Ian Stewart-Watson (4 years ago)
Beautiful place. Saw a very large bird of prey/ eagle on the other side if the valley. Had black tail and wing tips with a blad/ white head. That alone made the visit worth while.
Lionel Lee (4 years ago)
Interesting place that is iconic to the area. But nothing really much to see and eat in the area. Definitely need a car to get up here.
MattySwenson (4 years ago)
One of the most beautiful places in the world! I live in the mountains of Colorado so it’s hard to be impressed sometimes visiting other areas. We stayed for 3 days and I wish we had more time honestly, the entire area has amazing road/mtb cycling as well as hiking. The staff are very accommodating and friendly and the food was great! We had almost 100 people there for a work function and they handled everything amazingly well. The sanctuary itself is beautiful and we spent a lot of time just walking around inside and out in amazement. I can’t wait to go back next year! Here’s a tip if you’re still reading, get a room facing the mountain and find yourself staring out the window in awe at anytime of day.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in 267 AD.

The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using Pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.