Oñati (, ) is a town located in the province of

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa ( , ; ; ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiqu ...

, in the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

of the Basque Country, in the north of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It has a population of approximately 10,500 and lies in a valley in the center of the Basque country. It lies about south of the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...

and is about

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The name is Basque and translates roughly as "place of many hills", reflecting the landscape of the area. The town is surrounded on three sides by green mountains on the southern side by the Aloña limestone formation.

Main sights

Dating back to the

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

period, Oñati is home to numerous monuments. The University of Oñati, the ancient university of the Basque Country, which is in the town's centre, is one of the oldest university buildings on the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. Today it houses the International Institute for the Sociology of Law. Other important sites include the monastery and hospice of Bidaurreta and the Church of Saint Michael. Above the city lies the

Sanctuary of Arantzazu The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu is a Franciscan church located in Oñati, Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. The church is a much-loved place among Gipuzkoans, as the Virgin of Arantzazu is the shrine’s namesa ...

, which is known for its Pilgrimage Church of Our Lady. A shepherd is said to have discovered a figure of the

Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

here in 1469. The original 16th century chapel was replaced in 1950. Oñati is also known for having hosted the Boise State University Campus in the Basque Country program at ETEO. The time was very volatile politically since it saw the death of Franco and the transition to a non dictatorial political system. Currently, the main campus of the Faculty of Business Studies of Mondragon University is in the town. Arantzazu dorrea 2005 04 24

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Oñati is twinned with: *

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

, Mexico

Notable people

Lope de Aguirre Lope de Aguirre (; 8 November 1510 – 27 October 1561) was a Basque Spanish conquistador who was active in South America. Nicknamed ''El Loco'' ("the Madman"), he styled himself "Wrath of God." Aguirre is best known for his final expedition down ...

(1510–1561), conquistador

References

External links

Official Website
Information available in English, Spanish and

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...