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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.



Former settlers of the Golden rocks
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 most ancient, seems to correspond to a town with a tradition of Late Bronze, on the years 850 - 700 B.C.


 * On the previous one agrees another human group, which developed on the years 450 - 350 B.C.


 * Finally, superposed to the previous one, there existed another level that it made think about an occupation on the Roman epoch, probably in times of the Low Empire.

The Sanctuary
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:
 * Principal door that meets to the portico on round arch realized in big segments.


 * On it rooms of the Town hall and of the Confraternity.


 * To the sides cozy refuges.


 * To the left side the reed-mace.


 * Behind the church and the sacristy.


 * In the northern part the bar and the dining rooms.

The Church
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.
 * Sacristy: Located behind the major altarpiece, it was realized in 1771. Also there preserves painting of thin tones of the moment of his construction. It has two sets of drawers.


 * Major altarpiece: The only one that stays after the reform of 1964. It is of Baroque style. It has a body with three streets framed by four columns solomonic and attic. In the center and preferential place there is the Virgin of Our Lady of Gold, holder of the Sanctuary and Mistress of the Valley. It has the following characteristics:
 * Niche with round arch with garlands.
 * Andra Mari sedate you with veil and crown.
 * Medieval, restored in 1930.
 * Polychrome tunic with clasp and flower in the right and left hand on the child who blesses with the right and has the globe with cross in the left side.
 * Previously it was in a lateral altarpiece. This altarpiece reached agreement between Don Simón Rodríguez of Mendarozqueta and Zarate and the main architect Antonio de Alvarado in 1691.


 * Right chapel: Dedicated to San Antonio of Padua, it was constructed approximately in 1638. It is of the first baroque and the altarpiece has disappeared.


 * Left chapel: Chapel of the Saint Christ Crucificado, of 1761 approximately. Previously it was in the chapel under the choir.

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.


 * Baptistry: Golden virgin of 1964. Reproduction of the one that is in the altarpiece. Previously there was other one but it was moved to Domaikia in 1964.


 * Baptismal battery: It is possible that it is on the second stage of construction. There is witness of which the sanctuary has been in use for baptizing from the XVIth.


 * Reed-mace: The original one is covered. They appreciate still the ogival arches. The later one carried out at the end of the 16th century’s beginning to the 17th century. Constructed on line with the north wall of the Sanctuary. When it was constructed exempt age, now it is joined to later constructions. The bells stopped being realized in 1785.


 * Cruise: Christ's Representation and the Inmaculate Conception with the hands spandrels and, to his feet, the serpent and the moon. Classic line. Final Renaissance stage. It changed of site in 1833. Before it was placed opposite to the sanctuary.

Works and reforms in the Sanctuary
Throughout the years in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gold certain works have been done, of major or minor importance:


 * 1711: One reminds the arrangement of the quarters of the Sanctuary.
 * 1763: They become the paredones that surround the Sanctuary.
 * 1770: He remembers to do the Dressing-room in the Sanctuary, for which they are seen in the need to sell the part of the mount of the Sanctuary.
 * 1773: Big repairs are done in the lounges of the Sanctuary, room of the Chapter and House of the Chaplain.
 * 1775: Works are done in the Dressing room of the Virgin.
 * 1776: They tried to do a new building, to raise the walls and the roof, reminding it unanimously. It was discussed if permission would be asked the gentleman Obispo, agreeing not to do it on having been they the Employers.
 * In the book of the Sanctuary in 1799 it is said that the Camerin that uses as Sacristy concluded the year 1777 and the ornaments and sacred glasses passed to the booths in which they are situated in 1778.
 * 1778: They agree clean the Sanctuary three persons of every people, as well as to extract land and stone that exists in the quarters of the new work that has been done of carpentry and hewn stone.
 * 1783: He became a new bell and an esquilón for the Sanctuary and 1.500 prints, costing quite 5.555 royal ones.
 * On November 2, 1784: they agree to do the tower and that the neighborhood helps in the transport of the materials, giving a pot of beans to the cartwrights only with his bacon and a refreshment.
 * 1789: It was putted the balustrade in the Choir.
 * On March 3, 1806: it realizes in the Town hall of the evil been of the altarpiece and March 9 there takes the agreement to do the works necessary for his repair.
 * 1865-1866: Several works are done in the roof and in the belfry.
 * 1928: It put on cement in the portico and in front of the hermitage and was closed with a railing.
 * In 1964 it is restored because this year the General Meetings of Alava were celebrated there. They removed the whitewashed, the least important altarpieces, the railing of iron that was separating the presbytery and the pulpit. It changed the system of system of illumination. They re-did the lounges. They changed the roof replacing the wood with ceramics and slate.
 * In 1987 the slate of the roof is replaced with cement tile and they renew the pipings.

Fires
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.
 * In the year 1823: he declared itself inflamed that it began in the kitchen and threatened to propagate for the whole building, but it could be dominated before it was taking big dimensions and the losses were not of great consideration.
 * The night of April 28, 1913: another fire took place, in this case of big dimensions. It was on the verge of destroying the whole Sanctuary and the losses were high.
 * On April 2, 1964: being in full works of restoration of the Sanctuary, another fire took place in the kitchen that was provisional while the works were realized. Nevertheless, thanks to the persons who existed in the Sanctuary for the works it was possible to dominate the fire.

Santa Maria of Gold
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 days in which they were celebrated holiday in the Sanctuary they were coming to be presided by the Justice and Regiment of the valley according to vote that they had fact.
 * Until ends of the 19th century meetings of the Town hall were celebrated in the same Sanctuary, precisely in those days of festivities in the Sanctuary.
 * In all the ordinances of the Valley there existed some chapter dedicated to the Golden sanctuary, in which were distinguishing themselves obligations of the neighbors to be present at the functions and other religious worships of the Sanctuary with certain you punish whom it was not fulfilling with the above mentioned obligations.
 * The existence of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Gold from immemorial time, confraternity that still exists nowadays.

Image of Our Lady of Gold
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:
 * 1) One for order of the Statutory Deputation of Alava to send it to the Diocesan Mission of the province of The Gold in the Ecuador, as recollection of the General Meetings of Alava celebrated in the Golden sanctuary and for coinciding with the golden name.
 * 2) The second image was donated to extract it in the processions along the Confrere D. Jose Luis Arenaza.

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.

Legends concerning Santa Maria of Gold

 * The tradition tells that the primitive Sanctuary began to be built in jurisdiction of Urabiano's area of open land, in the skirt of the golden mount, and that when they were finishing it, eliminated the material and appearing in the place where one finds the current Sanctuary.


 * A legend exists in Zuia's Valley of which 3 Virgins: of Our Lady of Gold, Our Lady of Jugatxi and the Virgin of Vitoriano were sisters and they were in the habit of being visited.


 * One of the graces that more frequently attribute Our Lady of Gold is the treatment of the headaches. For it the patients were putting under the bells of the Sanctuary and while these were touching each other, prayers were said to Our Lady of Gold doing the request to him.

Confraternity 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.

Festivities concerning the Sanctuary

 * Day of the Ascension of the Gentlem is the day indicated to celebrate the principal holiday of the Sanctuary from immemorial time.
 * The second day of Easter. In the last years this holiday has reached great renown and they come major number of devout that in other festivities.
 * Day of San Antonio of Padua (June 13). This day is indicated for the children. The motive of it is that is considered to be Our Lady of Gold like pleaded and protective of the infancy and in consequence all the children of the valley guard his holiday the day of San Antonio. There exists a children's confraternity that is ruled by an own regulation.
 * Holiday of the Confraternity, 1st Sunday of September for men and the 3rd Sunday of September for women.