Sanctuary of Loyola facts for kids

Sanctuary of Ignatius of Loyola, in Azpeitia

The Sanctuary of Loyola (also called Loiola in Basque) is a special group of buildings in the Basque Country, Spain. It's a famous place built around the house where Saint Ignatius of Loyola was born. He was the founder of a religious group called the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.

This beautiful sanctuary is located near the Urola river in a neighborhood called Loyola. The name Loyola might mean 'foundry made of clay' or 'hut made of clay'. It's part of the town of Azpeitia.

Who Was Saint Ignatius?

Ignatius of Loyola's real name was Iñigo López de Loyola. He was born in 1491 in his family's home in Loyola. His parents were Beltrán Ibáñez de Oñaz and Marina Sánchez de Licona, who came from an important family in the Biscay region.

After Ignatius passed away, his birthplace became a very important place for people to visit and show respect.

Building the Sanctuary

In the 1600s, the house where Ignatius was born was given to the Society of Jesus. This religious group decided to build a large and impressive sanctuary right next to their founder's birthplace.

The buildings of the sanctuary are made in a style called Churrigueresque Baroque. This is a very fancy and detailed style of architecture that was popular a long time ago. It means the buildings have lots of decorations, curves, and grand designs.

The Main Altar

In 1900, the Society of Jesus asked a talented metal artist named Plácido Zuloaga to create an altar for the sanctuary. Zuloaga was famous around the world for his amazing artworks made using a technique called damascening. This special method involves carefully inlaying gold and silver into iron.

Zuloaga's iron structure for the altar holds panels that show different parts of Saint Ignatius's life. It also supports a crucifix and candlesticks that were made using the damascening technique by José Felipe Artamendi.

Inside the Basilica

See also

In Spanish: Santuario de Loyola para niños

• List of Jesuit sites

Images for kids

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  A look inside the dome

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  The main altar of the sanctuary

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  Inside view of the Holy House

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  The Sanctuary of Loyola in Gipuzkoa, painted by Jenaro Pérez Villaamil and Eugène Cicéri in 1850

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  A statue showing Ignatius of Loyola after being wounded in Pamplona