White Virgin (Andra Mari Zuria)

Patron saint of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Álava)

The White Virgin, Andra Mari Zuria, is the patron saint of Vitoria-Gasteiz and a symbol of the city; its festivities on August 5, with the descent of Celedón, are the heart of the Vitoria summer.

Origin and history

The original image is a 14th-century Gothic polychrome limestone sculpture, the oldest surviving depiction of the patron saint. Long associated with the Church of San Miguel, it was moved in 1788 to a niche in its portico, overlooking the square that would later bear its name. Devotion to the saint grew until the official declaration of her patronage by the Holy See (rescript of Benedict XV) in 1921.

Some authors trace the devotion back to the time when Álava belonged to Navarre, linking it to Sancho the Wise (founder of Vitoria in 1181) and to other images of Santa María la Blanca; it is a historical and devotional tradition. The Virgen Blanca is a symbol of the city's identity: its patron saint festivities on August 5th, with the descent of Celedón, are the highlight of Vitoria's summer.

Canonical coronation: not recorded.