First cross In 1899, Pope
Leo XIII ordered crosses built atop prominent mountains in the Christian world to commemorate the new century. It was decided that a cross would be installed at Gorbea, the highest mountain in
Biscay and
Álava. The priests of
Zeanuri in Biscay and
Zigoitia in Álava made the first steps coordinating the construction of the cross. The works, funded by donations, were undertaken by the
Diocese of Vitoria. The total budget was of 50,000
pesetas. It was designed by architect
Casto de Zavala and built in a factory owned by businessman and politician Serapio de Goicoechea. Works started on 26 July 1901, with the intention of being completed by 14 September (the
Feast of the Cross), but it wasn't inaugurated until 12 November. The construction of the cross was marred with difficulties. The parts of the disassembled cross was hauled by rail to
Izarra, and then carried to the summit with the help of
working animals. For unknown reasons, the tall cross wasn't built according the plans drawn by Casto de Zavala. The proposed designs included
guy-wires to help the structure withstand the strong winds, but due to the hurried construction they weren't added. The crossed collapsed just one month later, on 12 December. Due to the weight of accumulated snow, one of its legs snapped at a height of about , with the cross falling down the slope and breaking into pieces. With a height of , it is substantially shorter and stronger than the two previous crosses. The cross, reminiscent of the
Eiffel Tower in Paris, is supported by four legs which are joined at the top. The two northern legs sit in Biscay while the other two sit in Álava. The cross was renovated in 1991 and again in 2019. == References ==