The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold is the place of worship most distinguished from Zuia's valley. It is located to approximately 3,5 km from Murgia, in the summit of the mount of his name, in the center of the valley. Its altitude is 841 m on the level of the sea and from it there are gorgeous sights of the whole valley. From Murgia, taking the road that goes towards Vitoriano, divide a road that takes us up to the door of the Sanctuary.
The first document known in that there is a witness of the existence of this Sanctuary is of the year 1138. It is the writing donation on the part of Dona Maria Lopez to Nájera's Royal Monastery of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold together with that of Our Lady of Estíbaliz (Mistress of Alava) and Magnarrieta's Monasteries and Urrechu's Santa Maria, both located in Zuia's valley.
Many centuries before having textual witness, an area of devotion began with the foundation of the Sanctuary. In this place, a primitive community lived that had a long development across the time. Departing from that findings, archeologists natives of Alava did 4 campaigns of archaeological excavations, between 1964 and 1967. Having studied the results and materials, they solved that in general it is a question of a few populations that in the beginning of the Age of Iron they penetrated in Spain, for the oriental and western steps of the Pyrenees. They were a few big waves of people of Central Europe that agreed their settlements in places of average heights where they developed their life. They found remains of three epochs:
The building of the Sanctuary has suffered multiple transformations throughout the centuries. Of the primitive Romanesque church no rest stays. It must have been covered of wood, for the thickness of its walls, and according to some historians, its construction dates back of the epoch between the end of the 11th century and the 12th century. According to some historians the building dates from the late eleventh century and twelfth century Romanesque image being also there is revered and churches in nearby villages like Domaikia, Markina or Gillerna also being Romance, according to the prevailing style of the time , conclude that the original chapel of the Shrine of Our Lady of Gold was also Romanesque. The vaults of the temple with its terceletes and binds, seem to be samples of the construction of ends of the 14th century to 15th century. The false vaults of plaster of the sacristy must be of the 18th century. The Sanctuary is a building of big dimensions, divided in several parts:
It has door linteled with segments. The building is established on the rock of the boulder that shows in the interior, particularly in the right side.
Previous to the restoration of the Sanctuary the church had seven altars: the three that have stayed are the major altar and the four that had disappeared are the dedicated ones to Santa Maria and Santa Maria Sponge-cake and the dedicated ones to San Francisco and San Ignacio de Loyola are on the other hand and, finally, the chapel of Holy Casilda.
Throughout the years in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold certain works have been done, of major or minor importance:
When the first neighbors realized it touched itself to chime in all the churches of the valley and all the neighbors came, being able avoid this way the total destruction of the Sanctuary. The fire did not propagate to the church but there stayed destroyed the rooms of the Confraternity and the part of the front North of the Sanctuary. After the fire, the authorities decided to rebuild with the collaboration of the neighbors. This cooperation could consist both on personal works and on money of metal-worker. Besides the neighbors of the valley, they contributed also Town halls, parishes and devout of out of the valley.
The Virgin of Santa Maria of Gold is and has been considered from immemorial time as mistress of Zuia's Valley. No document exists in the one that declares itself to the Golden virgin as mistress of the Valley, nevertheless all the neighbors like that consider it and have considered it for centuries. Test of it they are the following examples:
In the year 1928 an imagen was in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold, in height of wood, very badly preserved, that in the opinion of understood persons concerned to the century XII. After the accomplishment of a study on the above mentioned image supposed that it was the image that one was venerating in this epoch in the Sanctuary, the primitive image of Our Lady of Gold. The height of the image had style typical of the XIIth and XIIIth century. As soon as they had the certainty of which it was the ancient image it was restored, preserving part of his painting and after a study it foresaw for experts in Madrid, the restoration was done in Apellaniz's house of Vitoria, for the artists Goikolea and Marín.
In 1964 two reproductions of the Virgin were done by the sculptor D. Eusebio Viribay of Vitoria. These two reproductions were done:
Both reproductions of the Virgin of Our Lady of Gold were blessed by Mr. Bishop of the Diocese of Vitoria the day of the celebration of the General Meetings of Alava in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold.
The confraternity of Our Lady of Gold established in the Sanctuary, byline of immemorial time, since in all the most ancient books that remain she is mentioned.
According to minutes of the book of the Confraternity of the year 1812, a Holy Father granted special indulgences for the Confraternity of Our Lady of Gold, but it could have verified not even what Pope was not which were such indulgences. The number of confreres always has been very numerous, being in the main neighbors of Zuia's valley. In 1884 one reminds that once admitted a person for confrere it will never be able to stop being, providing that he is a neighbor of the valley.
Until 1882 the Confraternity only was admitting men as confreres, but in this year and by request of the women, they were these also admitted. Though in that moment, only in the spiritual thing since they could not take part in the food that was celebrating the Confraternity in the Sanctuary the day of his holiday. Nevertheless yes they had to pay both the entrance fee and the annual corresponding quota.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold is the place of worship most distinguished from Zuia's valley. It is located to approximately 3,5 km from Murgia, in the summit of the mount of his name, in the center of the valley. Its altitude is 841 m on the level of the sea and from it there are gorgeous sights of the whole valley. From Murgia, taking the road that goes towards Vitoriano, divide a road that takes us up to the door of the Sanctuary.
The first document known in that there is a witness of the existence of this Sanctuary is of the year 1138. It is the writing donation on the part of Dona Maria Lopez to Nájera's Royal Monastery of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold together with that of Our Lady of Estíbaliz (Mistress of Alava) and Magnarrieta's Monasteries and Urrechu's Santa Maria, both located in Zuia's valley.
Many centuries before having textual witness, an area of devotion began with the foundation of the Sanctuary. In this place, a primitive community lived that had a long development across the time. Departing from that findings, archeologists natives of Alava did 4 campaigns of archaeological excavations, between 1964 and 1967. Having studied the results and materials, they solved that in general it is a question of a few populations that in the beginning of the Age of Iron they penetrated in Spain, for the oriental and western steps of the Pyrenees. They were a few big waves of people of Central Europe that agreed their settlements in places of average heights where they developed their life. They found remains of three epochs:
The building of the Sanctuary has suffered multiple transformations throughout the centuries. Of the primitive Romanesque church no rest stays. It must have been covered of wood, for the thickness of its walls, and according to some historians, its construction dates back of the epoch between the end of the 11th century and the 12th century. According to some historians the building dates from the late eleventh century and twelfth century Romanesque image being also there is revered and churches in nearby villages like Domaikia, Markina or Gillerna also being Romance, according to the prevailing style of the time , conclude that the original chapel of the Shrine of Our Lady of Gold was also Romanesque. The vaults of the temple with its terceletes and binds, seem to be samples of the construction of ends of the 14th century to 15th century. The false vaults of plaster of the sacristy must be of the 18th century. The Sanctuary is a building of big dimensions, divided in several parts:
It has door linteled with segments. The building is established on the rock of the boulder that shows in the interior, particularly in the right side.
Previous to the restoration of the Sanctuary the church had seven altars: the three that have stayed are the major altar and the four that had disappeared are the dedicated ones to Santa Maria and Santa Maria Sponge-cake and the dedicated ones to San Francisco and San Ignacio de Loyola are on the other hand and, finally, the chapel of Holy Casilda.
Throughout the years in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold certain works have been done, of major or minor importance:
When the first neighbors realized it touched itself to chime in all the churches of the valley and all the neighbors came, being able avoid this way the total destruction of the Sanctuary. The fire did not propagate to the church but there stayed destroyed the rooms of the Confraternity and the part of the front North of the Sanctuary. After the fire, the authorities decided to rebuild with the collaboration of the neighbors. This cooperation could consist both on personal works and on money of metal-worker. Besides the neighbors of the valley, they contributed also Town halls, parishes and devout of out of the valley.
The Virgin of Santa Maria of Gold is and has been considered from immemorial time as mistress of Zuia's Valley. No document exists in the one that declares itself to the Golden virgin as mistress of the Valley, nevertheless all the neighbors like that consider it and have considered it for centuries. Test of it they are the following examples:
In the year 1928 an imagen was in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold, in height of wood, very badly preserved, that in the opinion of understood persons concerned to the century XII. After the accomplishment of a study on the above mentioned image supposed that it was the image that one was venerating in this epoch in the Sanctuary, the primitive image of Our Lady of Gold. The height of the image had style typical of the XIIth and XIIIth century. As soon as they had the certainty of which it was the ancient image it was restored, preserving part of his painting and after a study it foresaw for experts in Madrid, the restoration was done in Apellaniz's house of Vitoria, for the artists Goikolea and Marín.
In 1964 two reproductions of the Virgin were done by the sculptor D. Eusebio Viribay of Vitoria. These two reproductions were done:
Both reproductions of the Virgin of Our Lady of Gold were blessed by Mr. Bishop of the Diocese of Vitoria the day of the celebration of the General Meetings of Alava in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold.
The confraternity of Our Lady of Gold established in the Sanctuary, byline of immemorial time, since in all the most ancient books that remain she is mentioned.
According to minutes of the book of the Confraternity of the year 1812, a Holy Father granted special indulgences for the Confraternity of Our Lady of Gold, but it could have verified not even what Pope was not which were such indulgences. The number of confreres always has been very numerous, being in the main neighbors of Zuia's valley. In 1884 one reminds that once admitted a person for confrere it will never be able to stop being, providing that he is a neighbor of the valley.
Until 1882 the Confraternity only was admitting men as confreres, but in this year and by request of the women, they were these also admitted. Though in that moment, only in the spiritual thing since they could not take part in the food that was celebrating the Confraternity in the Sanctuary the day of his holiday. Nevertheless yes they had to pay both the entrance fee and the annual corresponding quota.