Our Lady of Zikuñaga

Virgen Negra, patron of Hernani (Gipuzkoa)

In Hernani, next to the Urumea River, the Virgin of Zikuñaga, one of the seven black virgins of Gipuzkoa and patron of the villa, whose old Romanesque size was stolen in 1979, is venerated.

Origin and history

The hermitage of Zikuñaga was first documented in 1529, in the will of Mary Bear of Echeberria, and was a place of worship and pilgrimage very important for the inhabitants of Hernani and the Urumea Valley. The venerated image was a Romanesque size of Virgin Black - Zikuñagako Ama Birjiña Beltza -, one of the seven black virgins of Gipuzkoa, stolen on the night of 12-13 September 1979, causing great dismay among the faithful.

Because of the industrial transformation of the area, the old hermitage was demolished and a new temple was erected on the hill of Orkolaga, integrating armchairs from the ancient facade, where devotion continues today. The Virgin of Zikuñaga, patron of Hernani since 1954, has been invoked as a close mother of the Urumea families, and her feast is held on September 8, in the Nativity of Mary.

Canonical coronation: not found in the sources.