Azkoitia

Azkoitia is a municipality in Gipuzkoa, located in the Urola valley at the foot of the Izarraitz massif. Its historic quarter holds a heritage ensemble of considerable importance, centred around the parish church of Santa María la Real — with three naves, a Doric capital and a Romantic Cavaillé-Coll organ from 1898, the last built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll — and several medieval tower houses such as Baldakua, Floreaga, Idiakez, Etxe Beltza and Insausti, the latter one of the oldest in Gipuzkoa and home in the 18th century to the Caballeritos de Azkoitia, an enlightened noble group that promoted Basque culture and scientific research.

The town is also known as the birthplace of Basque pelota, a tradition deeply rooted in the local community. The pelota courts dedicated to Jorge Oteiza, each representing one of the seven Basque territories through the pelota variant most typical of each, are a visible expression of that connection.