Collection of altarpieces in the Church of the Jesuit Monastery (Orduña)

  • Church: Church of the Holy Family (Orduña)
  • Location: High Altar and crossing
  • Artist: Felipe del Castillo (architect) and Martín del Hoyo (sculptor)
  • Patron: Juan de Urdanegui
  • Chronology: 17th century (1688-1689)
  • Style: Baroque

One of the best collections of churrigueresque altarpieces in the Basque country

Altarpieces in the Church of the Jesuit Monastery (Orduña)

ORDUÑA

Church of the Holy Family

ORDUÑA

Altarpiece of Saint Joseph (former Saint Ignatius of Loyola)

ORDUÑA

Altarpiece of the Sacred Heart of Mary (former Saint Francis Xavier)

Church:

The Holy Family church originally was the church of the important Jesuit College in Orduña. This college is located in the centre of Orduña next to the customs facilities and the town hall. Its construction started in 1683 thanks to the donations given by Juan de Urdanegui, a nobleman from Orduña who became commander of the naval forces of Peru and major of Lima.

The church stands out for its monumentality with the portico, the two belfries and the large coats of arms. The college was run until 1957, when the Jesuits finally left it. Since 1963, the College has belonged to the Congregation of Saint Joseph, also known as the Murialdines.

Juan de Urdanegui
Collection of altarpieces in the Jesuit Monastery (Orduña)
Collection of altarpieces in the Jesuit Monastery (Orduña)

History:

This collection of altarpieces was built between 1688 and 1689 thanks to the nobleman and commander Juan de Urdanegui, who in 1666 had promised financial aid for the construction of a jesuit college and church in Orduña. Martín del Hoyo, a sculptor from Cantabria, and Felipe del Castillo, an architect from Orduña, were in charge of the construction. The latter one had built other works for the Society of Jesus such as the Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist church in Bilbao. (Iglesia de los Santos Juanes)

The three altarpieces cost in total 22,480 ducats, which was more than half of the money given by Juan de Urdanegui.

Description:

The impressive church of the Holy Family in Orduña contains a beautiful collection of altarpieces, three of which stand out on the high altar and on the laterals. They were designed as a collection and built in a much-decorated baroque style, known as the churrigueresque style. The architects of the Churriguera family were the most important representatives of this style. The main altarpiece is dedicated to the Holy Family, while the two laterals were originally dedicated to two Jesuit Saints. The altarpiece on the gospel side was dedicated to Saint Ignatius of Loyola and the one on the epistle side to Saint Francis Xavier.

Since 1963, the college has belonged to the Congregation of Saint Joseph, and therefore the principal saints have changed to Saint Joseph (gospel side) and the Sacred Heart of Mary (epistle side).

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