Urkiola Sanctuary

About

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...

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.

- The images of the patron saints, Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Anthony of Padua, are of rococo style and date from the 17th century, as they are already mentioned in the inventory of 1605. The historian Labayru attributes them to the Elgoibar sculptor Juan de Iturriza, who was the author of the altarpiece of the previous temple and who delivered them in 1679. Both are 1.10 m high with pedestals of 50 cm. They were made to be in the niche of an altar and not for procession. There is a written reference of 1665 where it indicates that they had attire of clothes and dresses.

- Carving of the Virgin Mary and child, donated by the Diocesan Museum of Bilbao. It is a Renaissance carving showing a seated image carrying the child on her lap.

- Christ crucified, image of Renaissance style of the 16th century. It was part of the Vera Cruz of Durango.

- Carving of Saint Anthony the abbot, from the previous temple in which it is known that it occupied a side altar and that in 1690 it was moved to preside over the so-called "Cloister of the Pilgrims", where the different votive offerings that the faithful left in gratitude for different favors performed were collected.

- The image of St. Peter, made in bronze, is a scale reproduction of the image of St. Peter in the Vatican City.

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.

- Mosaic of the High Altar (inaugurated in 1996): this work is intended to cover the big wall that closes the central nave and that serves as background to the high altar and is a work of the lay missionary Peli Romarategui that was designed by the priest José María Muñoz. It occupies 170 m 2 and has more than 850,000 pieces that were made in the sanctuary itself. Its construction took more than two years. It represents an allegory of the cross turned into a tree that goes through the four seasons of the year. It is the course of man through his four times and the flowering of life represented by the Resurrected Jesus.

- Mosaic of the chapel of the Santísimo : it is of smaller size than that of the High Altar and was made by the same artists. It is the frame to place the carving of the crucified Christ. On a brown background there is a Greek Cross, like a nuclear mushroom clouds or the smoke of an erupting volcano, symbolizing injustice and wars. On the sides are located, in niches, the figures of the two Saints Anthony: on the right Saint Anthony of Padua and on the left Saint Anthony the Abbot. Under it is the tabernacle. Under the crucified Christ it states in Basque : gora Jainkoa zeruetan, gora itsaso mendietan ('glory (above) to God in the skies, glory (above) to God in the seas and in the mountains').

- Other mosaics: in the chapel is a mosaic that frames the image of the Virgin and child and, then, next to the door of the sacristy, in a simple mosaic, the names of the Basque saints are collected.