The Church of Saint-Pierre d’Usakoa or Saint-Pierre-ès-liens is a Romanesque building dating from the 13th century.
In the 17th century, it became the parish church of Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, replacing the Church of Saint Jean-Baptiste d’Urrutia, now in ruins. Following the destruction caused during the French Wars of Religion in the second half of the 16th century, it was restored by Martin Biscay, the parish priest from 1613 to 1616, and his brother, the parish priest for 31 years. This is confirmed by the Latin inscription on the lintel of the west Romanesque portal, restored on that occasion: “VIZCAY RECTORE FUIT REPARATIO”. This lintel is surmounted by a stone dated “1630” surrounding a cross and surmounted by two keys, evoking the consecration of the church to Saint Peter.
Above it there is a chrismon, the symbol Christian primitive.
The first letters of the chrismon: X (Chi) and P (Rho), are superimposed on each other, forming a sort of star with six points. These are the first two letters of the Greek word “Χριστός” meaning “Christ”.
On the left, then to the right of them, the letters α (Alpha) and ω (Omega), the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, evoke the notion of unity, totality. The symbolize the beginning and end of everything.
The Romanesque portal comprises three archivolts decorated with small flowers arranged around a semicircular tympanum. It is framed by small columns with canopies of palm leaves, foliage, intertwining patterns, scrolls and animals.
The church’s interior is the fruit of 17th and 19th century alterations.
Population growth in the 17th century led to the addition of two galleries, as was the case in many churches in the Basque Country.
Behind the altar, a large painting is dedicated to Saint Peter, the parish’s patron saint. Here the apostle is represented as Saint Peter in Chains, when he was freed from prison in Jerusalem by an angel who broke his irons.
(Added to the Supplementary Historic Monument List (ISMH) on 01/09/1986).