Izagaondoa

Here, time seems to have stood still to protect an exceptional artistic heritage. In this valley of marl and sandstone, the landscape of Ardanaz, Turrillas and Urbicáin bears witness to the legacy of ancient defensive structures and the traces of a life linked to sheep farming and cereal cultivation. It is a region to be discovered in the silence of its rural parishes and the verticality of its oak and pine forests, weaving the mystique of pilgrimages into a scene that unfolds under the constant watch of the summit.

Izagaondoa general information

Our municipality is organised around a dozen settlements, such as Ardanaz (the main town), Guerguitiain, Induráin, Iriso, Reta and Zuazu. The history of Izagaondoa preserves traces of the Leguín fortress, a landmark that in the Middle Ages defended the busy route between Lumbier and Pamplona. The valley’s identity is reflected in the solidity of its traditional architecture and in the use of mountain resources, where the ashlar stone of the palaces of Cabo de Armería coexists with the simplicity of the pre-Pyrenean farmhouses.

What to see in Izagaondoa?

The valley’s heritage offers a wealth of rural Romanesque art, woven into the daily life of its villages.

• San Miguel de Izaga: This late 12th-century building is situated in a hanging syncline at an altitude of 1,362 metres. Its unusual layout, with polygonal apses and three naves, serves as a viewpoint over the Pyrenees and a site for the Trinity pilgrimage.
• The stonework of Turrillas and Urbicáin: In Turrillas, the Church of the Assumption features a 13th-century semicircular apse and a Gothic baptismal font decorated with the Agnus Dei. Urbicáin features a straight chevet in its parish church of San Esteban, housing altarpieces in the popular Baroque style within.
• Ardanaz and Reta: The village of Ardanaz preserves a Gothic transept and the church of San Martín de Tours, whose Renaissance façade is characterised by Tuscan columns and a triangular pediment. In Reta, the church of San Pedro retains the appearance of a 13th-century fortress, standing alongside 16th-century civil buildings.
• Induráin and Zuazu: The Church of La Purificación in Induráin is notable for its late Romanesque architecture and its Plateresque altarpiece. Zuazu is home to a 13th-century baptismal font and the Casa del Caballero, an 18th-century palace that bears witness to the town’s lineage.
• Mendinueta: This abandoned village, a former viscounty, preserves the remains of a medieval tower and the Beaumont Palace, set amongst remnants of an oak grove and legume fields.