OLD JESUIT SCHOOL OF A GUARDA – A PASAXE (CAMPOSANCOS)

About this heritage

Here we have the former Jesuit College of A Guarda, known as Apóstol Santiago.

The Society of Jesus opened this center here in 1875, and a few years later, between 1877 and 1885, it also operated as a small university school. In fact, it became the seed of two major Spanish academic institutions: the University of Deusto and the Pontifical University of Comillas.

The architectural complex stands out for its large interior gallery and for the main building, flanked by three towers that give it a solemn and monumental character.

But this place also holds darker memories. During the Spanish Civil War, the college was transformed into a concentration camp through which nearly 3,000 prisoners passed. After that period, it once again served an educational purpose for some time, closing a cycle full of contrasts between learning, faith, and historical memory.

Today, the former college remains a witness to this complex history, bringing together within its walls the remembrance of teaching, spirituality, and the most difficult episodes of the 20th century.