Harriak Iguzkitan

About the museum

In October 2007, the commune of Larceveau inaugurated Harriak Iguzkitan, the first interpretation centre in the Basque Country devoted to discoidal stelae and Basque funerary art. The name means “stones in the sun” in Basque. The association Lauburu handled the scientific side of the project in cooperation with the exhibition designers.

Nearly one hundred monuments are gathered on an open-air trail, with panels and videos explaining their meaning. Some stelae date from the 16th and 17th centuries; the round part often bears symbols evoking the life of the deceased. The trapezoid base represents the earth, the disc represents the sun, and the whole depicts the passage of the soul from earthly life to the afterlife.

Inside, an exhibition area presents Basque funerary art and traditions, including the ezkoa funeral candle, a thread of beeswax wound on itself or around a piece of carved wood, which symbolises eternal life. The centre invites visitors to interpret these carved images rather than merely look at them.

Highlights

• Open-air trail with around one hundred discoidal stelae
• Stelae from the 16th and 17th centuries, among the oldest in the Basque Country
• Room with videos in French, Basque, Spanish and English
• Presentation of the ezkoa funeral candle

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours des stèles discoïdales – Open-air trail of around one hundred Basque funerary monuments, complemented by an indoor area on funerary art and the traditions of the Basque Country.

Founded

2007

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission. An entry card is to be collected from the shops and restaurants in Larceveau.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The centre is listed as accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The centre is in the village of Larceveau, 18 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and 55 km from Bayonne or Biarritz. Coming from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Saint-Palais or Mauléon, it is almost opposite the former Olharan restaurant.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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