Discover the heritage and history of the Basque Country with Ospitalea

Discover Ospitalea, the best way to dive into the heart of Basque heritage!

Ospitalea ? This evocative name of hospitality refers to the Centre Départemental d’Éducation au Patrimoine d’Irissary. It takes place in the heart of the Basse-Navarre, at the foot of Mount Baigura. Managed by the department of the Pyrenees-Atlantiques, it is a former 17th-century commandery founded by the Knights of the Order of Malta.

This pedagogical tourist site today organizes art exhibitions, exciting animations, many fun workshops and varied shows. The goal? Discover the fabulous Basque heritage by presenting its centuries-old history... while registering this territory in the present and future.

Wanderlix makes you discover a place that is both mysterious and open to the world... It's a pleasure to meet you there!

Presentation and discovery of Ospitalea

History of the place

Ospitalea ("hospital" in Basque) is a former commandery founded by the Knights of the Order of Malta. They are also called the Knights Hospitallers, hence its name! Built from 1603, it was designed, like the other commanderies, to ensure the territorial organization of the Order. These collected tithes, taxes and donations to finance their shares.

Despite his name, Ospitalea never served as a place of welcome or care: it was actually a farm with remarkable dimensions. The architecture is entirely inspired by the bas-varrais models of the time. We owe this space to the Commander of the time, Martin de Larrea. He entrusted the construction of Ospitalea to Juanes de Landagaray, a mason from Irissarry. We can still be surprised by the great care given by the latter to his work.

Under the French Revolution, Ospitalea became private: it offered herself to individuals. Let us thank them: they kept it for centuries, in a state close to that of the early 17th century. 200 years later, in 1980, this building was registered in the Historical Monuments.

The Department of the Pyrenees-Atlantic acquired it in 1981, with a view to preserving and enhancing the heritage of the local heritage. Open to the public in September 2002 after two years of restoration, it now houses the Departmental Centre for Heritage Education (C.D.E.P.). His goal? Return the heritage and history of the Basque Country to the greatest number. Discover immediately why we recommend you to be part of it!

Visit to the building

Upon arrival, the visitor is struck by the colossal aspect of the building. Above the main entrance door is a lapidary inscription in Spanish. It justifies the construction of the building and frames a coat of arms surrounded by two angels. The south door highlights an inscription mentioning the year of the beginning of its construction and a cross of Malta. The entrance into the building is made by a room called “ ezkaratz "

It is through this space, both a place of agricultural work and daily life, that we access the other parts. The visit begins with the old kitchen of Ospitalea, which leads to an old stable facing west. This provision was used to protect the inhabitants from the weather from the Atlantic Ocean.

Nowadays, she acts as a media library. The level of the first floor includes elements of the former Commander’s apartment, which today hosts the workshops. The walls and beams are covered with lime. The apartment in question consisted of a bedroom (the room of the background) and a large working room. But the Commander of Ospitalea was largely in Pampelune: he only visited Ospitalea a few times a year. You can admire the work of the stone size around the chimneys. The same care was taken at the entrance doors.

Later, a former fenil (grenier à foin) serving today to host conferences, seminars, shows and various animations. We will also notice the superb carts and pulleys that, hung on the wall, were used to climb the hay boots until the 20th century. The rooms are dedicated to the reception of school groups.

Temporary exhibitions

Heritage, street art & heritage

Vieillot, the Basque heritage? Middle ages, bass-Navarre culture? What a fool! The Centre Départemental d’Éducation au Patrimoine Ospitalea unravels your ideas received. He welcomes you 4 August to 6 November 2021 for “ Heritage, Street-art & Heritage " In partnership with the Spacejunk art centre in Bayonne, Ospitalea offers itself to the duo of Sismikazot artists. He was trained about ten years ago by Rémi Tournier and Paul Soquet-Moreau. Here, these graphic poets will present their vision of the region, the sublime village of Irissary and its inhabitants. Performance takes the form of a work burst into several temporary frescoes that ignore the public space. An original exhibition to be discovered!

Our two companions have largely inspired the local population: the human is at the heart of their artistic vocation. Sismikazot honours us and customs, centuries-old traditions and ancestral lifestyles... by connecting them to our modern world which, although very different, obviously follows. The inhabitants of Irissary have actively participated in the development of this unique creation by sharing their daily life and culture. The Basque heritage is thus skillfully mixed with figurative, abstract art and writing. Want to know more? You know where to go!

A place of culture open to all

To discover the wonders of Basque heritage, Ospitalea also organizes guided tours and fun workshops. Temporary animations and shows throughout the year complete the educational offer. The visit of the building is by itself the displacement.

Don’t be surprised if you’re going through school flops when you arrive in school. The classes in stay-patrimoine are here welcome for the greatest pleasure (curious) of students of all ages. This centre has a cultural vocation welcomes various audiences who have come to immerse themselves in Basque heritage. The luckiest of them sleep even on the spot after a day of treasure hunt (Terra Aventura) which allows to discover the history of the village of Irissarry and the Commandery of the Hospitaller Knights while having fun.

Guided tours around, writing workshops and shows also attract many people. Hiking is even organized by Ospitalea, including a formula for exploring the paths of Santiago de Compostela. The pilgrims of the day will discover the charm of the Basse-Navarre to Ostabat. This welcoming village of pilgrims from the Middle Ages is a enchantment! Point d’orgue du route, the Chapel of Haranbeltz, ranked at the Historical Monuments.

Schedules and rates

The Centre Départemental d’Education au patrimoine Ospitalea and open daily Easter holidays at the holiday of the Toussaint, 10h to 12h30 and from 1:30 to 5:30 (except Sundays and holidays). The rest of the year, the site is open Monday to Friday. An annual closure is also scheduled for Christmas holidays: make sure, it lasts only two weeks!

The rates are more than reasonable to make you discover the Basque heritage regardless of your budget. For a simple free visit to the Commandery and temporary exhibitions, it is simply... free !

For a guided tour of the curatory or temporary exhibitions, it will cost you 3€ only. And only 5€ for a half-day heritage walk! Children under the age of 8 will have nothing to pay.

Attention however: booking these two formulas is mandatory. Paid animations are to be paid on site directly. Be aware that the ticket office only accepts cheques and the cash. Good visit to you!