Sanctuary of Loyola, Azpeitia, Spain

The Sanctuary of Loyola consists of a series of edifices built in Churrigueresque Baroque style around the birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.

Ignatius of Loyola, whose real name was Iñigo López de Loyola, was the son of the Lord of Loyola, Beltrán Ibáñez de Oñaz and Marina Sánchez de Licona, member of an important Biscayan family. He was born in 1491 in his family house in Loyola.

After he died his birthplace became a place of veneration. In the seventeenth century the house where he was born was given to the Society of Jesus. The Order built there, near the birthplace of its founder, the Sanctuary of Loyola.

In 1900 the Society commissioned an altar for the sanctuary, employing metalwork artist Plácido Zuloaga, who had won international success creating intricate artworks by damascening, a technique which inlays gold and silver into iron. Zuloaga's iron structure houses panels depicting the life of St. Ignatius, and supports a damascened crucifix and candlesticks from the workshop of José Felipe Artamendi.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

MaDRef (2 years ago)
We had a very enjoyable visit and thought the adjacent museum to be well worth the couple of Euro entrance fee.

John Fletcher (2 years ago)
The story of Ignatius Loyola is really inspiring and here is his family home where his conversion took place as he recovered from a shattered leg. He'd been wounded in a battle in Pamplona and carried back there to recover. Nothing light and airy about the place and it attracts much more rain than pilgrims these days.

Nono Momin (3 years ago)
It's a beautiful sanctuary. There's a voice activated guide to tell you about the history behind St. Ignatius of Loyola, the co-founder of the religious order called the Society of Jesus or Jesuits as we know them better. The Basilica of St. Ignatius of Loyola is built next to the house where he was born in Azpeitia, the Basque country, Spain. The house itself, now a museum, is incorporated into the basilica complex. We spent half of the day there, and loved every moment of it. There follows a legacy as till date we find many institutions dedicated to St. Ignatius.

Kevin by Bike (3 years ago)
If you like visiting churches or other historical buildings it is worth a visit. Also there are plenty of paths to have a walk in the nature.

Alejandro Bermudez (3 years ago)
This small town in Northern Spain has an amazing, impressive barroque basilica dedicated to the great Ignatius of Loyola, the great founder of the Jesuit order. The Shrine rises few hundred yards away from the house where Ignatius was born and raised Visiting both is a great package deal for anyone in this beautiful Spanish region

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