A Deconstruction of the Basilica of Arantzazu: Culture, Architecture, and Spirituality in a Sacred Place of Worship

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu located in Oñati, Basque Country, Spain, is a representation of the resistance of marginalized Indigenous peoples against the nation states that wish them erased and forgotten. The sanctuary was built in honor of a legend in which shepherd Rodrigo de Balzategui found a virgin apparition in a hawthorn shrub, to which he exclaimed, “Arantzan su! (Thou, among the thorns!)” The shepherd believed a shrine needed to be built to honor the figure of the virgin, but differing religious communities could not come to an agreement regarding who would take charge of such a project until 1514, when the Franciscans decided to do so (Mallo 609). Unfortunately, the sanctuary suffered various fires throughout its history, mainly due to different wars in 1553, 1622, and 1834. The final fire was preceded by attacks against the monastery during the War of Independence in Spain, which caused the Franciscan community to abandon the convent in 1822, taking the virgin figure with them (Mallo 609). The Franciscans eventually returned to the sanctuary in 1878, and in 1950, the Provincial Minister of the Franciscans decided that a new, larger basilica honoring the Virgin of Arantzazu should be constructed.