This photograph was taken on a wet, cold, windy day in September 2022. The church is part of the Franciscan Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arántzazu. We found it at the end of the lonely road we’d followed up into the Aizkorri mountains after our lunch at Oñati.
The drive was dramatic. Forested limestone valleys, drifting with clouds, dropped away beside us, the edges getting steeper the higher we climbed.
It felt truly remote and wild, with the exception of the excellent road which delivered us to a huge car park, with the church at the far end. Both were virtually empty. The closer we got to the church the more imposing it became. It was unlike any religious building I had ever seen – more knuckle duster than warm welcome. The entrance was down a ramp beneath the barred windows on the right. Once inside, it didn’t feel much sunnier.
The wonder for me were the mountains, and the view of the sanctuary complex from behind the church.
Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023
The Phraser 