Church of Santa María la Real (Zarautz)

Anyone arriving in Zarautz from Getaria comes across the Church of Santa María la Real almost at the gates of the town, a place of worship built in the 15th century following the canons of Spanish Gothic. It is a stop well worth making, because beyond the building itself it forms part of a complex that lets you trace a good part of local history in a single space.

Once inside, the eye is immediately drawn to the main altarpiece, a work from the late 16th and early 17th centuries begun by Andrés de Araoz and his son Juan. Unusually, it was designed to fit the Gothic image of Nuestra Señora la Real, so the medieval carving and the architecture of the altarpiece sit together quite naturally. It is also worth pausing at two 17th-century altars attributed to Ambrosio de Bengoechea: one dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary, dated 1612, and another to Saint Exuperius. On the west wall, a rose window with 19th-century stained glass adds a touch of light and colour.

The parish church is part of the Santa María la Real Monumental Archaeological Complex, which it shares with the Zaratz Tower, dating from the 15th century and considered the oldest building in the town. The bell tower now houses the Art and History Museum, a good opportunity to round off the visit with a broader look at Zarautz's past.

The most evocative find, however, lies underground: beneath its walls were discovered the remains of Zarautz's first necropolis, used between the 10th and 15th centuries. Knowing that this spot already played a part in the life and death of local people centuries before the Gothic church was raised gives the visit a special depth.