The sanctuary is the reason Núria exists. The current building is a large, rather severe structure that incorporates successive layers of construction — the oldest fabric dates to the 11th century, though most of what you see today is 20th-century reconstruction after a fire in 1931 destroyed much of the medieval complex. Inside, the focus is the image of the Virgin of Núria, a Romanesque polychrome figure attributed to Saint Giles of Nîmes, who according to legend left the statue, a bell, a cross, and a cauldron in the valley in the 8th century.
The cauldron (olla) is the object most associated with Catalan popular devotion: tradition holds that a childless woman who puts her head through the bell, her foot in the cauldron, and prays to the Virgin will conceive within a year. The ritual is practiced with genuine fervour and not a little good humour.
The sanctuary complex also contains a hotel, a restaurant, a cafe, and a small gift shop selling the usual religious items alongside local mountain produce. The church itself is open daily and entry is free.
story: "The legend of the olla de Núria — the iron cauldron said to grant fertility — predates the sanctuary itself. Medieval pilgrims made the gruelling walk through the gorge specifically to carry out the ritual, and the tradition survived the 1931 fire that destroyed the medieval building. Today's visitors, including many who would not call themselves religious, still duck their head through the bell and put their foot in the pot, just in case."