Visit our sanctuary in the Aralar mountains
The Sanctuary of Saint Miguel de Excelsis, nestled among the peaks of the Aralar mountain, range in the municipality of Uharte Arakil, is one of Navarre’s oldest and most deeply rooted centres of spirituality. Its church, a jewel of Romanesque architecture, houses a magnificent enamelled frontal, a masterpiece of 12th-century European gold smithing. Each year, the sanctuary’s image of Saint Michael, covered in gilded silver, travels throughout the region, bringing the Gospel message to hundreds of villages, parishes and communities.
The sanctuary’s doors are always open to welcome the pilgrims and visitors who come to this wonderful place, steeped in history and devotion, legend and art.
Welcome to Aralar
The effigy of Saint Miguel
The effigy of Saint Miguel of Aralar visits more than three hundred villages, parishes, schools, and institutions every spring, following a centuries-old tradition of faith deeply rooted in the soul of our village. Its first journey took place in 1127, for the consecration of Pamplona Cathedral. Since then, it has arrived in the city each year, on the Tuesday of the second week of Easter.
Saint Michael, who carries the Cross of Salvation above his head, brings us each year the message of Christ’s Resurrection and offers us God’s blessing upon our lives, our families, and our work.
For the rest of the year, the image of the Angel of Aralar presides over the Sanctuary of Saint Miguel in Excelsis, one of the oldest sanctuaries in Navarre, dating back to the 9th century. It is also a major artistic treasure and a witness to the faith and devotion expressed over the centuries by thousands upon thousands of pilgrims who have come to its doors to receive God’s comfort, forgiveness, and grace. In 2019, 71,300 people entered the sanctuary.
The thousand-year-old walls of this sanctuary preserve an exceptional treasure that, on its own, would be reason enough to attract any visitor. It is the enamel altarpiece of Saint Mary, a masterpiece of medieval art created especially for this sanctuary by the finest goldsmiths and enamellers of 12th-century Limoges. Its creation reflects the importance and appeal that Satnt Miguel has held for the Christian community throughout history. Bishop Pedro of Artajona understood this well and fought to protect the site, donating the house of Lakuntzetxe to the confraternity in 1191.
We would like to invite you all, from the bottom of our hearts, to visit the Sanctuary of Saint Miguel of Aralar. You can do so now through the texts and photographs on this website, or at any time by making your way to the summit of the mountain range on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle, or car.
We assure you that you will feel the emotion of setting foot on land blessed by the fervor of thousands of pilgrims who have invoked God and Saint Miguel the Archangel for more than a thousand years. You will find a perfect place for prayer and reflection, admire a unique landscape and natural setting, and discover an extraordinary monument representing the purest form of Romanesque art in Europe, as well as a site that has borne constant witness to the history of our people.
Any day is a good day to climb up to Aralar; any Sunday is an opportunity to take part in the Eucharist celebrated at this “sanctuary in the heights”; and any moment is the right time to join the many processions and celebrations held throughout the year. In short, any time is the right time to return the visit that this traveling archangel makes to our city, our communities, and our homes, bringing us the saving message that Christ has risen.
The Sanctuary is currently engaged in a process of research (archaeology, the image, the enamels, and the ivory reliquary) and renovation works at Lakuntzetxe and on the church roofs. In the future, we also hope to renovate the bathrooms, shop, and guesthouse.We are grateful for your prayers, understanding, and contributions. We are directing all these efforts towards a Jubilee Year, which, in due course, we will request from the Pope together with other Sanctuaries of Saint Miguel. May Saint Miguel the Archangel help us to give glory to God and seek the good of our brothers and sisters.
Alfonso Garciandía Goñi, Chaplain Minister
On behalf of the chaplains, members of the brotherhood, brothers, and collaborators of the Sanctuary