The Sanctuary of Arantzazu in Oñati

Guipúzcoa

This Franciscan sanctuary devoted to the worship of the Virgin of Arantzazu and Ignatius of Loyola benefits from the highland silence and peaceful atmosphere of the Aizkorri mountain range and good road infrastructure that makes it an easy place to access by devotees and tourist alike.

The sanctuary build on the cliffs.

It is said that in this the place the Virgin of Arantzazu appeared to the shepherd Rodrigo de Balanzategui in 1468. The legend says that the Virgin Mary appeared to the shepherd over a green hawthorn and that with her appearance the two year long drought stopped with a miraculous pouring rain and all conflicts and fights finished when for the first time, without weapons, the leaders of the different sides meet where the Virgin image appeared.

The virgin of Arantzazu over the hawthorn.

To see and do in Oñati: Oñati itself it’s one the most beautiful places in the Euskadi and to add to the fascinating Sanctuary of Arantzazu you can find the Natural Park of Aizkorri-Aratz very close. If you visit at the right time you’ll find a wide variety of events and festivals, the main festivity in Arantzazu is on September 9.