Basque ethnography at a glance

St John of Gaztelugatxe. Bermeo (Bizkaia), 1994. José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

This maritime sanctuary dedicated to the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist has over the centuries been one of the most important pilgrimage destinations on the coast of Bizkaia. Pilgrims flocked here to pray, make a wish, promise, express their gratitude…, but also in search of unparalleled aesthetic and landscape experiences. The chapel and an old hermit’s house stand on the island, connected to mainland by a two-arched bridge. 232 stone steps along a narrow path lead to the hermitage, although tradition has it that there once were as many as there are days in a year. The quite inaccessible islet of Aketxe lies close.

Stairs leading to the sanctuary. José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

Gaztelugatxe holds numerous hidden secrets, legends, rites and beliefs. History tells that Herod ordered the beheading of John the Baptist, and medieval chronicles assume that the severed head ended up in Aquitaine in 1010, from where its worship subsequently spread. The existence of a castle high up the rock, hence the name of the place, dates back to the 11th century.

Old-time healing practices are the sanctuary’s mark of identity. Women unable to get or stay pregnant deposited a piece of children’s clothing or some other object by the image of Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child herein. Children suffering from sleep disorders were also brought to St John’s on three consecutive Fridays, a rosary being said for them. Berets, hair clips and hairpins were customarily left in the temple as a remedy for headaches. And stutterers offered to Saint John all the coins they could hold in a fist.

Pilgrimage on St John’s Day, 1993. José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

Upon arrival at the local port of Bermeo, Saint John is said to have taken three giant steps to reach the top of the rock. Placing your feet into the ‘footprints’ of the saint was another ritual performed by pilgrims to prevent corns and calluses. According to our respondents, many devotees climbed up barefoot, some on their knees, as a sacrifice or a promise they ought to keep.

Mass pilgrimages and pilgrimage festivals are known as erromeriak. Coinciding with the summer solstice, on 24 June, the most multitudinous procession attracts thousands of pilgrims from Bermeo, flocking to celebrate the birth of Saint John. Immersed in a festive atmosphere, they attend mass, give alms, ring the bell, and many of them purchase scapulars. On 31 July another procession arrives from the neighbouring village of Arrieta, and on 29 August the people of nearby Bakio commemorate the saint’s beheading.

Bell-ringing on St John’s Day, 1993. José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

Given its location offshore, Gaztelugatxe has always been popular with fisherfolk. Sprinkling new vessels with holy water, throwing overboad a burning posy of grasses and flowers picked on the night of Saint John, and making three complete turns out at sea in front of the rock were propitiatory rituals for fishing. It was common for groups of wives or relatives of fishermen to come ask Saint John for a good catch. Model ships and boats would likewise be hung in the interior of the hermitage as ex-votos.

More recently, and as a result of the loss of the sense of the sacred, Gaztelugatxe has ceased to be centre of spirituality and popular religiosity. The new pilgrimages and mass tourism have profoundly changed the profile of the visitors and the reason for their journey. The tourists of today come to enjoy the beautiful scenery, take pictures and ring the church bell, the latter being an ancient custom which was part of long-established rituals and which now is more of a superstition than an act of faith.

Zuriñe Goitia – Popular Cultural Heritage Department – Labayru Fundazioa

Translated by Jaione Bilbao – Ethnography Department – Labayru Fundazioa

Reference for further information: Historia, tradiciones y secretos de San Juan de Gaztelugatx [History, traditions and secrets of St John of Gaztelugatx] by Anton Erkoreka.