Elorrio is a mediaeval town that was founded in 1356 to put a stop to robberies and attacks by Guipuzcoan faction groups. The surviving remains of the
mediaeval town include the long and narrow plot divisions around two streets with a crossroads. Originally, the church of Santa María de la Concepción was not planned with the rest of the town because the functions of parish church were carried out by San Agustín, a church that was distant from the new centre but that had been in existence since 1053. Santa María would be built later, in 1493, right next to the town but outside its walls. Cases such as that of Elorrio are not common as in most mediaeval towns the churches were planned inside the town itself. However it is not a unique case, in the Basque Country there are other instances such as the churches of Santa María and San Pedro in Markina and San Salvador in Usurbil.
As regards the Church of Santa María de la Concepción, we can point out that it has three naves of equal height covered by rib vaults. It is made of stonework and there is a tower on the outside. The entire building, except for the apse, polygon-shaped, is surrounded by a portico.
