Azkoitia

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

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

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

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