Art & Culture
Cultural Heritage
Bishop Rodrigo Mercado de Zuazola was totally convinced that Basque people had a special ability for arts and established a University in his hometown, Oñati.
The institution operated from 1542 to 1901 and taught Theology, Canons, Law and Medicine.
A main courtyard, chapel, classrooms, kitchen and dining room on the ground floor and bedrooms and the main lounge on the first floor formed the Oñati University.
The main façade is the most valuable feature of the building. It is divided into five parts separated by pilasters and decorated by sculptor Piarres Picart. The façade door's iconography shows Christian and pagan values to the students.
Nowadays the building hosts the Basque Institute of Public Administration, Gipuzkoa's Historic Archives and Oñati's National Institute of Law Sociology.
Palacio
