The Sanctuary of Loyola or Loiola (Spanish: Santuario de Loyola; Basque: Loiolako Santutegia), or the Shrine and Basilica 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.
The sanctuary stands along the river Urola at the neighbourhood of Loyola in the municipality of Azpeitia, Basque Country, Spain.
The religious complex of Loyola has a Sacred Museum that is located in the north wing of the sanctuary. It consists of two rooms that keep liturgical objects, the first of them, and in the second the altar and the doors that flanked it from the original chapel of the saint’s birthplace are exposed.
This altar is of plateresque style made in mahogany by Saturnino López Gómez. The central theme is the representation of Saint Ignatius writing the book in the Cave of Manresa.
The content of this second room is completed with a collection of books from different periods and in different languages and with a selection of bronze chests in the form of reliquaries made in 1912.
Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola, 23 October 1491 – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, who, with Peter Faber and Francis Xavier, founded the religious order of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits), and became the first Superior General of the Society of Jesus, in Paris, in 1541.
He envisioned the purpose of the Society of Jesus to be missionary work and teaching. Unlike members of other religious orders in the church who take the vows of chastity, obedience and poverty, members of the society, Jesuits, also take a fourth vow of obedience to the Pope, to engage in projects ordained by the pontiff. Jesuits were instrumental in leading the charge of the Counter-Reformation.
As a former soldier, Ignatius paid particular attention to the spiritual formation of his recruits and recorded his method in the Spiritual Exercises (1548). In time, the method has become known as Ignatian spirituality.
Ignatius of Loyola was beatified in 1609 and canonized saint, on 12 March 1622. His feast day is celebrated on 31 July. He is the patron saint of the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Biscay as well as of the Society of Jesus. He was declared patron saint of all spiritual retreats by Pope Pius XI in 1922.
Working hours
- Thursday
10AM–12:30PM
3:30–6:30PM - Friday
10AM–12:30PM
3:30–6:30PM - Saturday
10AM–12:30PM
3:30–6:30PM
- Sunday
10AM–12:30PM
3:30–6:30PM - Monday
10AM–12:30PM
3:30–6:30PM - Tuesday
10AM–12:30PM
3:30–6:30PM - Wednesday
10AM–12:30PM
3:30–6:30PM
How to get to?
- From Vitoria-Gasteiz 1 hr 1 min (72.9 km) via AP-1
- From Bilbao 53 min (71.3 km) via AP-8
- From Madrid 4 hr 22 min (428 km) via A-1 and AP-1
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