A digital gate open to heritage
The project
Ondare Irekia | Patrimonio Abierto is a project of Álava Medieval / Erdi Aroko Araba sponsored by Fundación Vital Fundazioa. With this initiative, we open a digital door to anyone who approaches the different points that are part of this initiative.
Through a QR code that you can scan with your smartphone, you can access a complete file with updated historical-artistic information, in addition to a series of digital resources that include 360° photography, thanks to which you will discover the inner space of these places that are usually closed to the public.
Iglesia de San Esteban de Subijana de Álava
The first historical news that we have of Subijana de Álava dates from the early 11th century, when it was referred to as “Subillana”. The constructive history of the church of Saint Stephen begins in the 16th century and it will continue through centuries with works of high interest.
Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle of Legarda
Legarda is a town near Vitoria-Gasteiz located at the foot of the port of Arrato. In addition to its unusual Romanesque tower, the church of Saint Andrew preserves, partially hidden, one of the most important medieval paintings in Álava
Hermitage of Saint Peter of Quilchano- Argomaniz
Located on a small hill near Argómaniz, the church of Saint Peter of Quilchano, despite its apparent modesty and simplicity, is a great example of how Romanesque churches have adapted over the centuries, reaching surprising solutions.
The church of Saint Lucy of Zambrana
The proximity of Zambrana to the Ebro river and, therefore, to the border with Burgos and La Rioja, caused this town to receive very varied influences from the neighbouring areas throughout its history. At present, the church of Saint Lucy shows a particular appearance due to the different moments in which it was built.
Church of Saint Vincent of Hueto Abajo
Romanesque style in Alava is varied and original in its forms, creating a huge number of typologies and solutions. The Hueto Abajo case perfectly exemplifies this spirit, as it presents one of the few polygonal headwaters in the province with a surprising sculptural and architectural quality.
The church of the Nativity of Hueto Arriba
The area of Los Huetos has been an inhabited place since ancient times due to its strategic location near the most frequented traffic routes. The most outstanding element of this church is without a doubt the baptismal font, one of the most outstanding jewels of medieval art in Alava.
The church of Our Lady of the Assumption
In the small town of Alaitza you will find one of the most surprising churches in the Basque Country. From the outside what we can see is a simple Romanesque temple with a semicircular apse with two naves and a porch. However, the true wealth is found within, as it contains an extensive and rich program of medieval painting that has become an enigma that is difficult to answer.
The church of the Nativity of Our Lady-Añua
The apse of the church of Añua is one of the richest examples of medieval art that we have in the entire Llanada Alavesa. But it is also a temple that was reformed in modern times with contributions of great artistic quality.
Church of Saint Julian and Saint Basilissa-Oreitia
Oreitia is geographically located in the western Alavese Plains, ten kilometres away from the capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz. As the vast majority of the small towns that are scattered across this region, its history starts in the first medieval centuries and, at the same time, the history of its church also begins.
Church of San Pedro of Villanueva de la Oca
Saint Peter’s parish church is a building that has undergone various transformations throughout time. Most of the elements that we see today are due to the restructuring suffered during the 18th century.
The church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Ordoñana
This building is a good work of the second half of the 16th century. Nevertheless we can find numerous remains of the old Romanesque manufacturing.The existence of the Romanesque building is confirmed as we reach the portico, where a notable medieval facade appears, which could date from the late 12th century or the beginnings of the 13th century.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception – Salinillas de Buradón
There is almost no trace today of the primitive church of Salinillas de Buradón, which probably dated from the 13th century, when the town was founded. Only the 16th-century manufacturing remains, which was subjected to some subsequent additions and renovations.
The church of the Assumption of Mary- La Puebla de Arganzón
The temple of Our Lady of the Assumption is a magnificent example of Late Gothic religious architecture. Inside we faind one of the the most remarkable and spectacular element of the church, the altarpiece.
Iglesia de San Martín de Estavillo
Estavillo is a strategic town located on top of a hill that looks towards the river Zadorra. Its role as a crossroads, including the Jacobean route and the court road to France, explains the wealth that the town obtained in the medieval centuries.
Basilica of San Prudencio and Saint Andrew – Armentia
On the outskirts of Vitoria-Gasteiz lies the basilica of San Prudencio and San Andrés de Armentia, seat of the cult of San Prudencio, patron saint of Álava. Built as a collegiate church during the 12th century, the pressure from the neighbouring town of Vitoria made the place fall into decay, hitting the bottom on the 18th century, when it had already lost its cloister and other spaces of the complex
The sanctuary of Estíbaliz
Throughout its history, the enclave has had different uses and functions: it has been a tenement with a fortress that today no longer exists, it was conceived as a monastery, it had a hospital for pilgrims and travellers of the Way of Saint James, it was a hermitage of great devotion and, in its years of decline, back in the 19th century, it became an agricultural warehouse and private house of a resident of the area.
Saint John’s hermitage – Elburgo
On the outskirts of the town of Elburgo, between crop fields, we find Saint John’s hermitage. This building is the only standing remnant that testifies the existence of an ancient small village, named Arrarain, that prospered in the area until the 14th century, when it was abandoned.
The church of the Nativity – Arkaia
A few metres away from the Roman baths, the oldest remains of the town of Arkaia, we find the parish church of the Nativity. The abundant (although sometimes hidden) Romanesque remains scattered along the entire building allow us to get an idea of its appearance in the Middle Ages.
The church of Saint Romanus, Ezkerekotxa
Ezkerekotxa is a village located in the heart of the Alavese Plains and crossed by the Camino de Santiago. In the church of Saint Romanus we find a good summary of all the different historical periods that the population has gone through.
Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Villafranca
We find Villafranca located at the foot of the hill where the Estíbaliz sanctuary lies. The church of Saint Andrew the Apostle, after the removal of the diverse additions that were implemented throughout time, offers a robust and uniform look.
Church of Saint Saturnin, Zalduondo
Zalduondo has been since time immemorial on a crossroads that has made this town an inevitable crossing for pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago and for muleteers and merchants who moved around the area.
Church of Saint Martin of Tours in Gazeo
On the edge of the Camino de Santiago in Álava while passing through Gazeo is the church of Saint Martin of Tours. Its advocation of Xacobean resonances reminds us of the thousands of pilgrims who have contemplated its walls over the centuries.
Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Ayala (Alegría-Dulantzi)
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. Find out the details of its corbels and the paintings inside.