The Virgin of Guadalupe

The Virgin of Guadalupe (Caceres)

The appearance of the Virgin Mary to a shepherd provided inspiration at a difficult moment for the Christian troops. After the battle (Salado), the king ordered the construction of this Gothic styled Hieronymite monastery at the place of the apparition, a site of incomparable natural beauty. Here, the first Indians brought from America were converted to Catholicism and since then, the monastery has been the patron of the Hispanic culture. Each October 12, solemn processions representing brotherhood with the peoples of America take place.

Other Marian Sanctuaries in Spain of great historical and spiritual importance that go back to the Middle Ages are El Pilar (Saragossa), Covadonga (Asturias) and Monserrat (Barcelona).