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Gipuzkoa - Tourism
> Loiola, a sanctuary in the heart of the Gipuzkoa
How is it possible to explain that a tiny district in the heart of the countryside in Gipuzkoa could produce such major figures in just a few years? San Ignacio de Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Without doubt the deed performed by a Basque that has had the greatest influence on the world.
Juan de Antxieta, the master sculptor and major Renaissance artist who is responsible for stunning altarpieces and, although born afar but with the same origins, the Jesuit Jose Antxieta, a cousin of Saint Ignatius, missionary to Brazil, founder of Sao Paulo, poet in the indigenous language and national hero in that country.
That beautiful corner of Gipuzkoa today serves as a reminder of that period of splendour and of the people involved. The medieval centres of the towns of Azpeitia and Azkoitia house many treasures that take us back directly to those glorious times. Yet the main focal point is undoubtedly in Loyola.
In the Basilica of Loyola. Surrounding the tower-house in which Iñigo de Loyola was born in 1491, the architectural complex built in homage to the founder of the Jesuits is outstanding for its magnificence and the dimensions of all its features, with the more prominent being the basilica itself, with a dome that rises to a height of 65 metres.
It was inaugurated in 1738, although as a result of the expulsion of the Jesuits decreed by Carlos III, the complex was not completed until the end of the 19th century, two centuries after it was first begun. The tower-house has been reconditioned to provide a view of everyday life in the household of this remarkable character.