CAMINO IGNACIANO
Sanctuary of Loyola
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Casa Torre-Gipuzkoa
The Ignatian Way recreates the journey undertaken by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the year 1522 from his birthplace in Loyola to Manresa, where he wrote the Spiritual exercises. The walk allows you to experience the Spanish countryside, while you contemplate the teachings of St. Ignatius.
Ignatius was born in 1491, in the old Casa Torre Gipuzkoa. The four story castle still stands. You’ll find it just inside the outer walls of the shrine complex; its interior has been beautifully re-imagined as a museum. Tour the museum, and, above all, be sure to spend time in the room (now a chapel) where Ignatius convalesced after his battle injury at Pamplona in 1521.
Cave of St. Ignatius
This is where, according to tradition, Ignatius wrote his book of Spiritual Exercises . Cave of St. Ignatius is a natural cave that looks to Montserrat, above which are the church buildings, the residence and the Center for Spirituality. The church, built in 1759, is an example of Baroque architecture and Jesuit.
Portrait of St. Ignatius of Loyola as a soldier.
La Ciudadela de Jaca
Cathedral of Royal Saint Mary
San Fermin Festival: Running of the Bulls
St. Ignatius joined the army at age seventeen, mostly looking for glory, and dueled many people in his search for glory. He once dueled a Moor who denied the divinity of Christ and ran him through! He took up arms for a duke who recognized his diplomacy and leadership skills and who trained and led him through many battles without injury. The La Ciudadela de Jaca, is a fortress where St. Ignatius made a heroic defense effort against french forces resulting to his right leg being shot by a french cannon. Despite of the loss, French soldiers were so impressed with the courage and determination of Ignatius they decided to take to the castle of Loyola instead of taking him to prison.
Included in our Camino Ignaciano tour is the The San Fermin festival. It is the major attraction in Pamplona and features the running of the bulls (“encierro” in Spanish) which takes place every morning at 8 o’clock between the 7th and the 14th of July. The runners are chased by six bulls for approximately 800 meters until reaching the bullring (“plaza de toros” in Spanish). This is a very dangerous activity and while some people train all year around preparing for it, others decide to join at the last moment. Thousands of people carry the Saint Fermin statue on the streets during a procession. The festival is celebrated in conjunction with other folkloric and traditional events.
Pamplona also features a majestic cathedral such as Cathedral of Royal Saint Mary and squares that are interesting sights and of historical value.
Abbey of Montserrat
Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat
Virgin of Montserrat
Another attraction for our Camino Ignaciano tour is the multi-peaked rocky range Montserrat, rugged mountain near Barcelona, is home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat. Since the 12th century, pilgrims have been drawn to the mountain to venerate the miraculous statue carved by St. Luke around 50 AD and brought to Spain. The statue was hidden from the Moors but rediscovered in the 13th century. Christian knights of the past would spend the entire night before an altar of the Blessed Virgin before receiving their knighthood. St. Ignatius resolved to prepare himself to be a knight for Christ by holding vigil before an altar of Lady of Montserrat. He also surrendered his sword and dagger at the Virgin's altar as a symbol of his renunciation of his past life.