Discover Plaza: townscape, architectural history and routes

Plaza in Zeanuri offers several distinct points of interest for a stay: a town layout arranged around the square, buildings with their own historical and architectural features, and the ARR09 and ARR10 routes. The town layout, architectural history and route connections offer different perspectives on the area and help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

The square and townscape

In the lower part of Plaza, the buildings are arranged around the square. Plaza is one of the most valuable ensembles among the historic Anteiglesia village centres. There is also a probadero, a traditional ox-testing arena, in Plaza de Zeanuri. The spatial layout of this part of the town thus comes together with a distinctive feature of the square.

Routes connected with Plaza

The ARR09 Areatza–Zeanuri route reaches Plaza in Zeanuri. ARR10 starts in Plaza, passes through part of the built-up area and follows the Arratia River. The difference is clear when comparing the routes: on ARR09, Plaza is the destination; on ARR10, it is the starting point, and the route passes through part of the built-up area and follows the Arratia. This makes it easy to distinguish the route connections by whether Plaza is a destination or a starting point.

Architectural history and architecture

The Ermita de San Isidro was built in the second half of the 19th century as a temporary replacement for Santa María, which was in poor condition at the time. It lies between the Arratia River and the road leading north to the centre of Zeanuri, and faces that road. Its history and location are among the hermitage’s distinctive features.

The Ermita de San Antonio de Zubiate has a different focus: the present-day hermitage was built in 1931, replacing an earlier building from the 17th century. It is also part of the boundary wall of Casa Zubiate. Unlike San Isidro, whose history is linked to its role as a temporary replacement at the time, San Antonio is distinguished by a specific construction date, an earlier building and its architectural integration into the wall.

The Emaldi farmhouse in Plaza de Zeanuri also makes its own architectural statement. It is a particularly valuable building, featuring wood and exposed brickwork, few small openings, and a broad roof overhang supported by corbels. The wood and exposed brickwork identify the materials, while the openings and roof overhang add distinctive features of form. This sets Emaldi apart from the hermitages: here, the materials and roof shape take centre stage, while the chapels are notable for their history, location and architectural integration.

Natural surroundings at the municipal level

Zeanuri is located in Gorbeia Natural Park, an exceptional natural area with rich landscapes and diverse fauna. This natural setting encompasses the municipality of Zeanuri and broadens the focus beyond Plaza itself to the landscape as a whole. For travel planning, Plaza’s town layout and architectural history can thus be considered alongside the wider natural surroundings of the municipality.

Discover more destinations: Mungia, Plentzia, Osma, Busturi-Axpe, Trucios-Turtzioz, Ermua, Orozko, Arantzazu

For the broader travel overview: Bizkaia.