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:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Matilda von Sydow (15 months 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 (2 years ago)
Beautiful sanctuary to visit. The church is beautiful inside and out.

Ian Stewart-Watson (2 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 (2 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 (2 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.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Erik Christensen, Porkeri

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Kirkjubøargarður ('Yard of Kirkjubøur', also known as King"s Farm) is one of the oldest still inhabited wooden houses of the world. The farm itself has always been the largest in the Faroe Islands. The old farmhouse dates back to the 11th century. It was the episcopal residence and seminary of the Diocese of the Faroe Islands, from about 1100. Sverre I of Norway (1151–1202), grew up here and went to the priest school. The legend says, that the wood for the block houses came as driftwood from Norway and was accurately bundled and numbered, just for being set up. Note, that there is no forest in the Faroes and wood is a very valuable material. Many such wood legends are thus to be found in Faroese history.

The oldest part is a so-called roykstova (reek parlour, or smoke room). Perhaps it was moved one day, because it does not fit to its foundation. Another ancient room is the loftstovan (loft room). It is supposed that Bishop Erlendur wrote the 'Sheep Letter' here in 1298. This is the earliest document of the Faroes we know today. It is the statute concerning sheep breeding on the Faroes. Today the room is the farm"s library. The stórastovan (large room) is from a much later date, being built in 1772.

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The farm holds sheep, cattle and some horses. It is possible to get a coffee here and buy fresh mutton and beef directly from the farmer. In the winter season there is also hare hunting for the locals. Groups can rent the roykstovan for festivities and will be served original Faroese cuisine.

Other famous buildings directly by the farmhouse are the Magnus Cathedral and the Saint Olav"s Church, which also date back to the mediaeval period. All three together represent the Faroe Island"s most interesting historical site.

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