Chronology of the Construction of the Shrine and the Church.

- 1767: For reasons he kept “in his royal breast,” King Charles III expelled the Jesuits from all his domains and confiscated their properties. The order hit Loyola and was complied with on April 3, 79 years after the inception of the work on the construction of the College. That of the northern wing had reached the top of the windows of the first floor, and that is how it would remain during the next 118 years. During this time (1773-1814) the Society was suppressed. A drawing shows the unfinished building looked:

- 1816: The Jesuits return to Loyola after the restoration of their Order by Pius VII worldwide in 1814 and after Ferdinand VII had authorized their return in two decrees dated 1815 and 1816.

- All along the 19th century the Spanish governments expelled the Jesuits from Spain, and specifically from Loyola, up to six times: in 1820, 1835/40, 1854, 1868, 1870 and 1876.
Following the 1840 expulsion and as a sequel to the confiscation of all ecclesiastical properties decreed in 1836 by the Spanish government, Loyola was “donated” by the latter to the provincial government of Guipúzcoa (the Diputación), which had applied for it for using it as a prison. The Diputación is its proprietor ever since, but for two exceptions:
1) 1) the so-called “the Duke’s House,” reserved to the heirs of the Loyola family, within the precincts of the Shrine, which has remained unaffected by expulsions and expropriations;
2) 2) and the Tower-House, which was returned to the Society in 1991 after the latter had financed its restoration.

- 1885: Creation of the “Company for the work of Loyola”, authorized by the State to complete the building and allow its use to the Jesuits for a period of 60 years, with the further commitment to safeguard its religious use in any case. The cession to the Society was renewed in 1945 for another 60 years (up to 2005).

- 1885-1888: The “Company for the work of Loyola”, which was committed to complete the building in ten years, manages to complete the northern wing (the only one left) in less than three years thanks to the enthusiastic cooperation, financial support and gratuitous work of the faithful, especially of Guipúzcoa.

The proprietorship of Loyola by the Diputación has had a variety of effects, but it must be said that, on the whole, it has been beneficial for the preservation of the building and its religious destination. It has made heavy investment in what may be the most important building in its possession.

- 1904-1924: This is a time of great transformations in the Tower-House, promoted by the devotion of the Jesuits and directed by Architect Manuel María Smith. One central staircase is built and the building is conceived as a container of chapels (9 in all), With their ornamentation, drawers and altars, these chapels hide almost totally the real milieu that witnessed the birth, childhood and conversion of Iñigo de Loyola.

- 1989-1999: On the occasion of the 5th centenary of St Ignatius’s birth (1491-1991), the entire Tower-House underwent a restoration oriented to the recovery of its original aspect. This has been achieved to a great extent. Now it is easier for our imagination to reconstruct the human and spiritual adventure that Iñigo López de Loyola lived within these walls.

A curiosity: This work of restoration began on 9 November 1989 with the dismantling of the multiple chapels crowding the Tower-House. It happened to be the day when the Berlin Wall was knocked down.