Irurita is presented through Fina Hidalgo’s home, a two-storey stone house near what could be considered the settlement’s urban center. Its formal exterior gives way to an unexpectedly lush garden, with a large greenhouse that draws the visiting woman inside and makes the house’s cultivated character its defining feature.

Setting and Architecture

Irurita is identified as the second-largest settlement in Baztán. Fina Hidalgo lives in a substantial stone house in its central area, with two floors and a glazed mirador—a feature that had become fashionable in the late eighteenth century. The house’s conventional solidity is offset by the distinctive garden behind its entrance.

Garden and Greenhouse

Two weeping willows flank a path of red flagstones bordered by primroses and carefully trimmed, oversized lavender bushes. The planting ranges from faded green to burgundy, with red cyclamens decorating the windows. Attached to the house is a glass greenhouse measuring about twelve by twelve metres; viewed from within, its panes are beaded with millions of tiny drops of water.

The greenhouse is densely packed with plants, yet the woman who greets the visitor invites her in, calling attention to how appealing it is. Inside, the air is markedly more humid and warmer than outdoors, and a strong mint-like scent fills the space. The garden and greenhouse make Fina Hidalgo’s residence more than a stone house in the town center: its distinctive atmosphere is shaped by the abundant, carefully maintained plant life.