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Lima, Peru. The Society of the Virgin of Arantzazu in Lima is currently experiencing a remarkable revival, spurred by the group of Peruvian Basques who have worked to recuperate one of the oldest Basque societies in America.  In February of this year, a group of euskaltzales, legally recovered the society, however, its official activation will take place in November coinciding with the 400^th anniversary of its founding.

Supporters of the initiative aim to rescue it from oblivion and “repair a historical injustice linked to political convenience between Spain and Peru,” which led the society, “to be chosen by the Peruvian Government in 1865 to ingratiate itself with the regime which had deprived the Basque Country of all of its prerogatives and rights,” they explain.

Francisco Igartua Prize

Activities related to the Society will begin this Sunday, as part of the traditional festivities in the honor of our Lady of Arantzazu with two masses at the Basilica of San Francisco, where the society was founded.  The first, in the morning, will be celebrated by Monsignor Miguel Irizar, as requested by Lima’s Basque club and the second, in the evening, organized by devotees of the Basque virgin.

On October 18, date of the 366 anniversary of the enthronement of the Virgin of Arantzazu in Lima,  the Francisco Igartua Prize, that is awarded annually to those who stand out in the defense of democratic values and human rights will be launched.  Igartua, a prominent Peruvian and son of a Basque, was “who saved the brotherhood from oblivion in Lima, at one of the World Congresses of Basque Collectivities in which he  participated,” according to organizers of the event.  He passed away in 2005.

Commemorative Book

The core of the commemorative events will take place in November, during the official festivities of the Quadricentennial of the Society.  These activities include the publication of a commemorative book, driven by John Aguilar Bazan with the collaboration of the Basque historian, Oscar Alvarez Gila.  The objective is, according to Bazan, to “connect academic and intellectual roots, in order to rescue and preserve documents relating to the historic quadricentennial of the brotherhood and which our now dispersed among various Peruvian institutions.”

In addition, new members will be included in the society: emeritus members of the revived society will be descendants of the original founders and, honorary members will include historians and intellectuals who are contributing to the commemorative book.  There will also be religious and cultural events and a planting of a sapling from the Tree of Gernika, brought expressly from Santiago de Chile.

Conference

Finally, on November 6, there will be a historic-cultural conference held on the foundation of the Society and its entry into force at the time, in the institutional headquarters of the Riva Aguero in Lima, chaired by Dr. Jose de la Puente Brunke, a direct descendant of one of the stewards of the original Society.