This is what a visit to the Aralar Sanctuary, a pilgrimage site in Navarre, is like.

One of the Cultural interest places more interesting than you can visit in Navarra is the Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar.

We have had the opportunity to live the experience of visiting it during a recent trip through the northwest of this community through the Bidasoa and Sakana valleys.

The specific objectives of the sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar is located on the summits of the Aralar Mountains, in the municipality of Uharte Arakil.

Thus, plow follows the custom of placing the churches dedicated to San Miguel Arcangel.

This custom began in the Mount Gargano in the 5th century, and another example of it can be seen in the Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy.

How to go up to the San Miguel de Aralar Sanctuary

To go up to the Aralar Sanctuary You have two winding routes through a beautiful beech forest, and you will arrive at its location at 1200 meters above sea level, where you have beautiful views of the Mount Beriain and the Arakil Valley.

Given the difficulty of access by road, in recent times plow has become the end of stages of the Tour of Spain.

Don't be surprised that during your excursion you see numerous cyclists getting on or off, so I can tell you that you should be very careful when riding on these roads.

Curiosities of the history of the Aralar Sanctuary

El Aralar Sanctuary It has been a place of prayer since ancient times.

In Aralar Mountains numerous have been found megalithic monuments which date back 5000 years, and it is thought that in the very place where the sanctuary is, in the past there was a dolmen.

It is also believed that in Roman times, there was already a era, that is, an altar.

You must keep in mind that this sanctuary is adjacent to the ancient Roman road that heads towards León, through which the the Camino de Santiago known as the Camino Primitivo.

In the 9th century a first was built pre-romanesque church, which is thought to have been destroyed by a Muslim raid, to be later rebuilt starting in the year 1032, and completed in the mid-XNUMXth century.

For its part, the sanctuary tower It was rebuilt in the 20th century.

What is a place of pilgrimage quite visited you will have a good example when you see that next to the Romanesque building of the sanctuary there are visitor facilities, including a restaurant.

This is the experience of visiting the Aralar Sanctuary, what to see

To access the sanctuary, you will first find a narthex at the west door, that is, a closed porch covered by a barrel vault, through which it communicates with the three side portals.

Upon entering the interior of the temple you will be surprised to find yourself in front of a chapel with roof so that it looks like a small church, which was built at the end of the 12th century to venerate relics.

Legend of the Aralar Sanctuary

Next to the door of this small church you will see displayed some chains what do they refer to legend of Teodosio de Goñi, a Navarrese knight who lived in the 8th century, and which is considered the origin of the Aralar sanctuary.

According to legend, the chains were imposed on him on a trip to Rome as penance, and which he had to wear throughout his life, until he was freed from them after an appearance of San Miguel Arcangel in the place where the sanctuary is now located.

Tradition says that the chains which you can now see in plow They are the ones used by the aforementioned Theodosius of Goñi.

It is customary for pilgrims today to perform the rite of go under the chains, as well as looking out of the small window inside the small church, which gives access to what is supposed to be a large chasm.

Image of Saint Michael in Aralar

Inside this small chapel you can see what is known as Image of Aralar, originally a silver-lined wooden figure which represents San Miguel Arcangel.

The current image was made in 1756 and is a silver locket inside which are preserved the remains of the old wooden image and a supposed relic of the cross of Christ.

Every year the image of San Miguel, between Easter and August, goes from pilgrimage for more than 300 towns in Navarra.

Both the image and its bearers are staying in the homes of the members of the Brotherhood of Saint Michael, and to note that on the second Sunday of August the image also passes to the neighbor Guipúzcoa connection with the pilgrimage to the Hermitage of Igaratza.

This is the Aralar Enamel Altarpiece

The interior of the main building is arranged with three naves and three apses, and from the heritage and artistic point of view, you should focus your attention on the impressive Enamel altarpiece of Saint Mary.

From the year 1176, and made in advanced Romanesque style, this altarpiece is considered as the most important artistic work of medieval goldsmithing that is preserved in the world.

El Aralar Altarpiece is a set of 37 polishes mounted on beech wood in two rows, presenting six apostles in the upper row, and the three in the lower row. Wise Men, the Archangel Gabriel, The Virgin Mary y San Jose.

The authors of this artistic work commissioned by the king Sancho the Wise and the Bishop Peter of Paris, It is considered that they were enameling goldsmiths settled in Pamplona with the help of some master enameler from the French city of Limoges.

How was the theft of the Aralar Altarpiece by Erik the Belgian

An important event in the history of Aralar Altarpiece is that in 1979 it was stolen by the well-known art thief, Erik the Belgian, who dismantled the set and took the enamels.

The theft was commissioned by a Mexican magnate, but the enamels were ultimately sold to antique dealers in various European countries.

Years later they were gradually recovered, although two medallions are still missing today.

In short, the Aralar Sanctuary It is a place of great cultural interest whose visit well justifies a getaway to this area of ​​the northwest of Navarra.

Visiting hours of the San Miguel de Aralar Sanctuary

The Visiting hours of the Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar They are open every day of the year in the morning from 10 a.m. to 14 p.m., and in the evenings the hours vary depending on the time of year, always opening at 16 p.m. and closing between 18 p.m. and 20 p.m. It is closed to the public on Mondays.

The Mass schedules in San Miguel de Aralar They are every Sunday and holidays at 12,30:XNUMX p.m.

To visit the sanctuary you can sign up for guided tours (tel. 948 37 30 13) whose price is 2,50 euros.

Map: how to get to the Aralar Sanctuary in Navarra

El Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar It is 45 minutes away northwest of Pamplona, Navarra, already an hour south of San Sebastian.