When entering the Sanctuary of Arantzazu, what you first see is the contemporary church, built between 1955 and 1959 by the architects Francisco Javier Saenz de Oiza and Luis Laorga.

The church is situated at the foot of the mountain giving continuity to the surrounding limestone landscape. The three towers are created on the rocky peaks and represent the hawthorn bush where the Virgin Mary appeared to the shepherd

From the façade of the church the spectacular masterpiece by Jorge Oteiza lures you. The frieze of the 14 apostles represents all men and women.  The Pieta rises at the top with an expression of suffering.

To enter into the mystery of the church it is necessary to descend into its depths through the iron gates, the work of Eduardo Chillida.

Inside, surrounded by the warm colour of the wood, is the 622 m² landscape of polychrome wood, which makes up the magnificent altarpiece by Lucio Muñoz.  In the centre of the altarpiece, there is a small image of the Virgin Mary dating from the 12^th -14^th centuries.

Going further into the interior, the stained glass windows, made by Xabier Alvarez de Eulate, soften the light.  On the paintings along the passageway to the small room where the image is found, Xabier Egaña shows the history of salvation in the mystery of woman.

Deeper into the crypt are the paintings of Nestor Basterretxea showing the evolution of the history of mankind and the Resurrected Christ.