Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola (Church of Saint Ignatius de Loyola), San Sebastian

The Church of Saint Ignatius de Loyola, is a stunning neo-Gothic style church located in the Gros neighborhood of San Sebastián. Originally established as a parish in 1883, it was built to serve the expanding neighborhoods of the city. The land on which the church was built was generously donated by Mrs. Águeda Gros, while Tomás Gros provided the stone needed for construction.

The architect José Goicoa Barcaíztegui designed the church in the neo-Gothic style, which was popular at the time. The church features three longitudinal naves, with five sections each, but does not follow the classical Latin cross layout as it lacks a transversal ship. Instead, the main vault, ribbed with terceletes, is situated in the rear section of the main nave, where the transept would be. The head of the church is oriented to the north, in keeping with the urban layout of the Gros neighborhood, and has a heptagonal apse, but no ambulatory. The high choir is located at the foot of the church, occupying the first section of the main nave.

The church was opened for worship in 1897, but the tower was not completed until 1928, thanks to a generous donation from Don Fermín de Lasala y Collado, Duke of Mandas. Inside, the church is richly decorated with a collection of paintings on the cloths of the Main Chapel, depicting scenes from the life of Saint Ignatius. The church also features an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, sculpted by Mariano Benlliure, and a neo-Renaissance tomb of the Duke of Mandas himself, as well as other neo-Gothic tombs in the presbytery and nave. The stunning stained-glass windows are the work of Maumejean. The Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola is a beautiful example of neo-Gothic architecture and an important place of Catholic worship in San Sebastián.