Sanctuary of Urkiola

The Sanctuary of Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Anthony of Padua of Urkiola is a Catholic temple located in the hill and port of Urkiola, in the Biscayan municipality of Abadiño, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is unknown exactly how old the Sanctuary is, but according to some documents, it could have been between the 8th and 11th centuries, making it one of the oldest of the region. It is located at the heart of the Urkiola Natural Park, next to one of the historical routes linking the Cantabrian coast with the Castilian plateau and surrounded by a lush nature in which the limestone walls of the mountains of Durangaldea stand out as a background, with the Anboto as the highest altitude, where Basque mythology places the main dwelling of its highest deity, Mari (called the "Lady of Anboto").
The present structure, the third one known to exist, is an unfinished building in neo-medieval style that was begun in 1899 and consecrated in 1933. This building, together with a small bell tower erected in 1870, the rectory, the old hospital and the hospice, make up the religious complex, which is complemented by two small old chapels, the Santo Cristo and Santa Polonia, a Stations of the Cross and Calvary built in 1943, and the small cemetery in the rural neighborhood.
The sanctuary is right on the dividing line of the Mediterranean and Cantabrian slopes, so that the water that falls on one side of its roof goes to the Mediterranean Sea and the water that falls on the other side goes to the Cantabrian Sea.
The disproportion between the enormous construction of the unfinished naves and the small bell tower of the previous temple draws the attention of the visitors. A large staircase serves as access to the church, whose entrance is flanked by the unfinished walls of which would have been the towers and the portico.
The central nave forms a garden in which rises the small bell tower of neoclassical style, in the part that has not been occupied for worship. Among the different plants that adorn it, a small monument commemorating the lifestyles of Vizcaya has been erected. This monument is made up of an anchor, a laia and a stone turbine that symbolize the seafaring, agricultural and industrial life of Biscay, respectively.
Going up to the left, just at the entrance of the sanctuary, a rare stone (which many say is a meteorite), invites single people to go around it seven times clockwise, as it is believed that one will find a partner if they do so (if the turns are made backward, it is said that it has the opposite effect).
The side naves are now aisles that give access to the temple. The central nave has been closed with a large wall to form the space dedicated to liturgical use.
The church was designed in neo-medieval style and oriented to the use. As the work was left unfinished, the position of the altar was changed and it was turned upside down, leaning against the great wall that closes the nave. The rectangular landscape chancel has given place to the choir, and on its sides are the sacristy and a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament.
In the late 20th century, different renovations were carried out to finish off the unfinished work. These works, both on the exterior and interior, were promoted by the group of ex-missionaries belonging to the Basque diocesan missions, who took charge of the sanctuary in May 1970.
On the exterior, the large access staircase was built and the top of the wall that closes the main nave was smoothed.
In the interior, the walls that form the back of the altar were decorated with mosaics. For the main altar a large mosaic has been built covering the wall that closes the nave and on which a stained glass window has been opened with the figures of the two Saints Anthony, the Abbot and of Padua. Another mosaic has covered the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and a Stations of the Cross has been made on the floor of the nave, to which the Station of the Resurrection has been added. These mosaics and the Stations of the Cross were made in the sanctuary's own workshop.
The sanctuary has suffered several fires over the years, but among the sanctuary's collection there are several outstanding images.
In the 1990s, the back walls of the altars were covered with mosaics, both in the main altar and in the chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
Along with the mosaics, several stained glass windows were made. The main one adorns the High altar and the images of the two Saints Anthony have been placed on them.
Other stained glass windows were designed by José María Muñoz and made by Peli Romarategui, in a workshop in the sanctuary itself:
The Urkiola area has been relevant in the beliefs of the inhabitants of these lands since prehistoric times. In its surroundings there are abundant archaeological remains and in its maximum height, the Anboto, the autochthonous mythology has located the residence of its maximum figure, Mari numen main of the pre-Christian Basque mythology.
The entry of Christianity did not erase the previous beliefs, which remained incarnated in the new creed. Therefore, the Urkiola site has always had a strong spiritual and religious expression. Even in the absence of documentation or archaeological findings to support it, it is estimated that the antiquity of the cult in this place is prior to the Middle Ages and is linked to the entry of Christianity in these lands.
The sanctuary of Saints Anthony the Abbot and of Padua was built on a primitive and simple hermitage dedicated to St. Anton, of which there are written references around 1212 when the Infanta Urraca indicated the alms for the hermitage. There are also more references to the year 1567 (one of the rectors of the sanctuary, Benito de Vizcarra, says he can fix the origin of the sanctuary between the 8th and 9th centuries from the legacies that appeared in a document of the will of the County of Durango in the 13th century) and in the 17th century. From the original building it is known that its altar faced east and was located at the entrance of the current temple and that it had a bell tower and portico. Since the 13th century the sanctuary is dedicated to the two Saints Anthony.
In 1308 Juan Alonso de Múxica is recorded as protector of the sanctuary. In 1567, apart from the hermitage, the complex was already composed of a house and a hospital and required an income of 61 ducats for its maintenance expenses.
In 1625, construction began on a church to replace the hermitage, also dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. The works were entrusted to Antonio López de Traña with whom Martín de Arriluceaga worked in masonry and Baptista de Orbea in carpentry.
In June 1646 the new church was inaugurated with a Latin cross plan with a single nave and dome. This church remained open for worship for 15 years. In 1553 the cloister was built, which was called the pilgrims' cloister, and the choir and sacristy were enlarged. These works were carried out by the stonemason Francisco de Elejalde and the carpenters Asensio de Ojanguren and Cristóbal de Eguizabal. The sacristy and the choir were built in 1662 and 1666, respectively. Shortly after, the altarpiece was built by the architects Juan de Bolialdea, Domingo de Ascorbe and Joanes de Iturriza, who finished it.
In 1756, with the approval of the Cabildo and the Patron Saint of Abadiño, it was erected as a parish, detaching itself from the parish of Saint Torcuato, Abadiño's main parish.
Next to the temple, a hospital was built to serve the numerous travelers that circulated along this important route, which had a jail and an interior icehouse. In 1772, the rectory was built in front of it. In 1831 four lateral altars were inaugurated.
During the social crisis of the 19th century, the church was closed for worship and the images of the saints were transferred to the parish church of Abadiño, where they remained for four years. Once this crisis was overcome, the church was returned to worship and several renovations were made to the temple. The most relevant, and that lasts until today, is the construction of a bell tower in 1870. This tower, in neoclassical style, was the work of the master builder Pedro José Astarbe from Durango.
A few years later, the diocesan capital of the Basque Country was located in Vittoria. The diocesan leaders decided to build a great temple in accordance with the spiritual importance of the place. The architect José María de Basterra was in charge of the project, and in 1898 he began the studies and design of the project. It was a great temple in neo-medieval style, like the new cathedral of Vittoria, with a length of 60 m and a width of 30 m. It consisted of three very different naves. The central nave was wide and high, the lateral ones reduced to mere transit aisles. The chevet was rectangular and horizontal and the entrance portico was flanked by two large towers of 40 meters. The temple was accessed by a large staircase.
On June 13, 1899, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, the first stone of what was to be the new building was laid. The works were carried out in such a way that the previous building remained in use. That same year the hospital burned down.
In 1915 the first part was inaugurated and in 1928 the second part was inaugurated, but the works were stopped due to their great cost. It was then when the previous temple was demolished, but the tower that had been built in 1870 was maintained. The works did not continue, leaving only the head of the basilica and the first section of the naves, as well as a second section of the side naves and the foundations of the rest of the building. In 1918, the Board of Works announced the lack of financial resources to continue the work that summer. A nearby place was found for the extraction of the sandstone necessary for the construction, in Urkiolagirre, also known as Koroso mendi, which was located 150 meters from the summit within the municipality of Abadiño, which authorized its exploitation for an annual payment of 10 pesetas and the commitment to ask permission for it every time it was needed. The pieces of stone were taken to the vicinity of the site twice a day, where they were worked.
On August 27, 1933, Bishop Mateo Múgica consecrated the church, which, having enclosed the central nave with a wall and placed doors on the sides, was opened for worship.
On May 1, 1970, the Basque Diocesan Missions were entrusted with the care of the sanctuary. The new people in charge decided not to finish the building because of its high cost and the fact that the space available was sufficient for the celebration of the liturgy.
In any case, renovations were carried out to finish off the unfinished work in a more definitive way. The exterior of the wall enclosing the central nave was decorated and the interior was adorned with mosaics (in 1993 the mosaic of the Chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament was inaugurated and, in 1997, the one of the High Altar) and stained glass windows. In 1991 the great access staircase was built and in 2006 a new guesthouse and an eco-museum were inaugurated.
Tradition recalls that Saint Anthony of Padua arrived at Urkiola on his way to Compostela or perhaps traveling to his hometown, Lisbon, and must have spend the night in the pilgrims' hospital, praying and celebrating mass in what was then the hermitage of Saint Anton, to whom he professed such devotion that he adopted his name when he entered the Franciscan order.
It is customary to give different goods to the sanctuary. These gifts are made both by the towns and by the landlords and shepherds. Normally, steers are donated and sold at auction.
In the "blessing of the children" the mothers offer to Saint Anthony their children under one year of age after spending the night in the sanctuary. For this, the child is weighed on the scales called peso leal (loyal weight) and an offering equal to the weight of the child is made. The offering is usually wheat, oil or wax.
The rock at the entrance of the temple is attributed with certain virtues that allow those who go around it clockwise seven times to find a partner (if the turns are made backward, it is said that it has the opposite effect). For this same purpose, alms, papers with notes, colored pins, etc. are also left.
The rock, which is defined as "a conglomerate of stones and pebbles and cobbles and fossils of innumerable kinds that in such a particular way have been mixed and joined with non-artificial cement", was placed in the small square where it is located on November 29, 1929, by order of the then rector of the sanctuary, Benito de Vizcarra. Vizcarra found the stone in a nearby mountain and, given its strangeness, moved it to a place of easy access.
The tradition of going around this stone to find a groom is linked to an earlier tradition of sticking pins in a canvas that was in the sacristy. To find a groom, pins were stuck with white heads if the man was to be blond and with black heads if he was to be brunette. The tradition of going up to Urkiola to ask for a bride or groom has given rise to the following couplets:
Two festivals are celebrated in Urkiola, one in honor of St. Anthony the Abbot and the other in honor of St. Anthony of Padua.
Together with the sanctuary itself, two hermitages and a Stations of the Cross make up the Urkiola Sanctuary complex. The hermitages, equidistant from the sanctuary and united by a roadway that coincides with the old Camino Real (Royal Road), are:
43°05′58″N 2°38′37″W﻿ / ﻿43.09957°N 2.64353°W﻿ / 43.09957; -2.64353