This Sunday, the Hermitage of Santa Elena in Irun will offer an open day, organized by the Irun City Council and the Oiasso Roman Museum. This activity will allow the public to access free of charge one of the archaeological sites most relevant in the city.
Attendees will be able to Get to know the necropolis of the ancient Roman city of Oiasso up close through the exhibition installed inside the hermitage. In addition, they will have the opportunity to view a 3D reconstruction of the necropolis and observe the archaeological remains from the walkway that connects the altar with the main entrance.
The event, held on the occasion of Saint Helena or Xantalen Day, It is an initiative promoted by the Alde Zaharra-San Juan Residents’ Association, which has been organizing this activity for years in the context of the Xantalen Festival. The program also includes Other events in the hermitage, as well as the traditional mass and the presentation of the Txapelaundi Awards, which will take place on Saturday.
Throughout the year, on Sundays at 11:00 in Spanish and at 12:30 in Basque, the Hawaiian Museum offers guided tours inside the hermitage, within the framework of the Tour Irun Romano (TIR). This itinerary is available free of charge on mobile devices, allowing visitors to delve into the history of the place.
The hermitage of Santa Elena is a space where Religious rites have endured for more than 2,000 years. Originally it was a necropolis that housed the funeral cults of the inhabitants of Oiasso. In the 10th century, a small church was built on one of the old pagan buildings, which was replaced in the 14th century by a Christian temple which reached its present size in the 16th century.
Dedicated to Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, who in 313 legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, the hermitage celebrates this figure who was canonized for discovering the cross on which Jesus of Nazareth died.
Recognized as a Cultural Asset of Special Protection of the Basque Cultural Heritage, The hermitage of Santa Elena is part of the monumental complex of the Camino de Santiago as it passes through the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.
