Azkoitia

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Azkoitia's central square, wi Paroquia Santa Maria La Real (the ceety's main kirk)

Azkoitia (Spaingie: Azcoitia) is a toun locatit in the province o Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous commonty o Basque Kintra, in northren Spain. It is the seat o the municipality o the same name an aw.

Geographical settin[eedit | eedit soorce]

Azkoitia an the municipality o the same name, are locatit on an aroond the upper Urola river valley, centered on a smaw alluvial plain surroondit bi the Basque muntains. Except for the valley itsel, the terrain is rather ruggit, wi elevations rangin tae little less nor 950 meters.

Historical relevance[eedit | eedit soorce]

Azkoitia wis the birthplace o the mither o Saunt Ignatius o Loyola, foonder o the Jesuit releegious order. Ignatius' maternal grandfaither, Don Martin Garcia de Licona, haed purchased Balda Touer in the mid-15t hunder. Recurrin bloody encoonters in the region persuadit the king, Henry IV o Castile, tae reduce the touer frae a fortress tae a courthoose. On 13 Julie 1467 Don Martin's dochter, Dona Marina Saenz de Licona Balda marriet Don Beltran Ibanez de Onaz y Loyola frae neebourin Azpeitia in the Licona faimily hame in Azkoitia. The oreeginal weddin contract still exists.

Loyola's birth hoose is still preservit as a museum a pairt o a muckle Jesuit compoond. It is locatit a few kilometers east o Azkoitia's ceety center, at the smaw commonty o Azpeitia, an is a major tourist attraction.

Notes[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. ^ Demographics for all Basque municipalities Archived 2006-10-29 at the Wayback Machine



Coordinates: 43°10′45″N 2°18′38″W / 43.17917°N 2.31056°W / 43.17917; -2.31056