Virgin of Miracles

Virgin of Miracles
Our Lady of Miracles Saint Mary of La Rábida
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Major shrine	La Rabida Monastery
Feast	August 15
Attributes	Gothic 13th century Anonymous
Patronage	Palos de la Frontera

The Virgin of Miracles or Saint Mary of La Rábida (Spanish: Virgen de los Milagros or Santa María de la Rábida) is a religious Roman Catholic image venerated at the La Rabida Monastery in the city of Palos de la Frontera (Huelva, Spain).

The image is in Gothic style, from approximately the 13th century, carved in alabaster. It was an exceptional witness to the historic events of the Discovery of the Americas. Before it, prayed men like Columbus, The Pinzon Brothers, and the men who participated in the first expeditions of Columbus and in subsequent ones that departed to the Americas from this zone.^[1] Likewise, in their visits to the Franciscan monastery, many prostrated themselves, among others, Hernán Cortés, Gonzalo de Sandoval (who died in the monastery and was buried in it) and Francisco Pizarro.^[2]

Although it was dated towards the late 13th century or the early 14th century, included in the popular tradition and the legends is an ancient codex^[3] of 1714 from Fray Felipe de Santiago; it has been given an apostolic origin and some notable incarnations, like her apparition in the sea after the completion of the Umayyad conquest of Hispania among the nets of some fishermen from Huelva.^[1][4]

The image is a patron of both the monastery and the city of Palos de la Frontera, in which several diverse religious and civil acts are celebrated in the month of August in its honor culminating with the typical Andalusian romeria celebrated in the environment of La Rábida in the last weekend of that month.

Because of the various vicissitudes suffered by the image it has been repaired and restored on various occasions, however the carving largely conserves the original work.

On June 14, 1993, it was crowned by the Pope John Paul II, who named it «Mother of Spain and the Americas (Spanish: Madre de España y América)». The Godparents of honor for the coronation were the kings of Spain, who delegated to their daughter, Infanta Cristina.^[5] In the acts of this celebration she was also named, in part through the town hall. «Perpetual Honorary Mayor of Palos de la Frontera (Spanish: Alcaldesa Honoraria Perpetua de Palos de la Frontera)».^[1]