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Nuestra Señora de Ayala hermitage (Alegría-Dulantzi)
IntroducTIOn
Just a kilometre from Alegría-Dulantzi stands the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Ayala, one of the best-preserved Romanesque temples in the Alavese Plains. Long ago, it was part of the route of the Camino de Santiago, which has left a deep mark on the decoration and structure of the church. Even though we see it as a hermitage today, it was the parish church of the small village of Ayala in the Middle Ages, which now no longer exists, as its inhabitants moved to the neighbouring village of Alegría-Dulantzi in search of better living conditions. Currently, it can be admired within a wide natural setting prepared to be visited, which is full of interesting archaeological remains found nearby, such as the pedestals of old Stations of the Cross and a sarcophagus.
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consecration crosses
Most notable inside the hermitage is a series of circular red wall paintings that can be found around the entire perimeter of the church. They are medieval consecration crosses. These crosses were painted during the complex rite of dedication or consecration of a church, which was officiated by the bishop. After carrying the relics of a saint to the new temple, the bishop went round the outside of the temple three times, sprinkling holy water over the walls. Next, he reentered the church, where, among many other rites, this series of crosses were anointed, which were a sign of protection. Usually, twelve crosses were anointed, in reference to the apostles, and a lit paschal candle was placed over them. Not all churches profited from the consecration rite. At present, we only know about two examples of consecration crosses of this style in Álava: in the hermitage of Ayala and in the church of Saint Martin of Tours in Arbulo.
Old photographs
Towards the end of the 19th century, the church was almost in ruins. Antonio Pirala already commented on his book Provincias vascongadas that its “complete destruction” should be prevented. Fortunately, later restorations prevented its collapse, although they slightly reduced the height of the old portico. This is why we can see the remaining Romanesque pieces today, such as the remains of columns and capitals, relocated inside the porticoed space. Photographs from: (Lorenzo Elorza and Federico Baraibar) Cristóbal de Castro, Catálogo monumental de España, Madrid, 1915.
The hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Ayala
Outside
As we approach the unmistakable profile of the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Ayala while getting close by the Camino de Santiago, the first thing that stands out is its huge semicircular apse. Three windows pierce the apse: two of them are simple arrow slits decorated with balls on a discharge arch, while the third one is a subsequent hole made in Gothic style, with decorated capitals in which we can see ladies with headdresses and gentlemen.
LOCAtioN
Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Ayala