Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar

The Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar is located in the town of Huarte-Araquil, Navarre, Spain.

The devotion to San Miguel

From the end of the Roman Empire and, above all, from the news of the apparitions of Saint Michael on Mount Gargano (5th century), Rome (6th century) and Avranches (7th century), Western Europe had numerous places of worship of the archangel. Many of them were erected on the heights, where the dual ministry of thaumaturge and protector of Christian kingdoms was attributed to him. Devotion to St Michael was also important in the evangelisation of the land of the Basques, and from the 10th century onwards it became one of the major cults promoted by the kings of Pamplona, together with that of the Virgin Mary. For this reason, many of the oldest churches and chapels in the kingdom were dedicated to the prince of the heavenly militia.

The temple of Excelsis

Romanesque in style, the first reference dates from 1032, although it is assumed that a pre-Romanesque temple existed as early as the 9th century. After a fire in the 10th century, it was restored and enlarged with two side naves. Seen from the east, the triple apse immediately stands out, with the atrium-refuge attached to the south and the dome crowning the complex. In the passageway that leads to the church, there is a sober doorway made up of four arches with a living arris on an impost and right feet. This leads to a narthex or closed portico, covered with a slightly pointed barrel vault, the same width as the church, which is connected to it by three doorways, the side ones simple and the central one more decorated.

The sanctuary church has three naves of almost the same height. It is crowned by a chevet with three semicircular apses, although the central one is polygonal from the outside. The three naves are covered by barrel vaults and the chancel by an oven vault.

The pillars are cruciform in plan, except for one, which is circular. There are no capitals; instead, the half-barrel vaults start from a simple impost and, in the apses, from a quarter sphere vault. There is no sculptural ornamentation to distract from the contemplation of the plain stone in its architectural function.

Before reaching the main chapel, we find a small sanctuary with a gabled roof, dating from the 12th century, located above the grotto where, according to legend, the archangel Saint Michael appeared. This sanctuary houses the image of Saint Michael.

In the section before the main chapel there is an octagonal lantern, which is the most important source of light inside.

Wikipedia

Website:https://www.sanmigueldearalar.org/

Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar

Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar

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