Virgen del Camino
The Virgen del Camino is a Marian devotion of Spain. She is patroness of the region of Leon and of the city of Pamplona. She also gives her name to the town where her shrine stands, La Virgen del Camino, which lies on the Camino de Santiago Frances and is the centre of an important pilgrimage in honour of Saint Froilan.
The present-day Basilica of the Virgen del Camino and seat of the Dominican order was built in part thanks to the patron Pablo Diez, thanks to his success at Grupo Modelo, now a Mexican brewing multinational.
History – Virgen del Camino
According to legend, on 2 July 1505, a shepherd from Velilla de la Reina named Alvar Simon Fernandez was gathering his flock when the Virgin Mary appeared to him amid a great light at a place called El Humilladero, where a hermitage had always stood and where a chapel of the Church stands today.
The Holy See named the Virgen del Camino patroness of the Region of Leon in 1914. On 5 September 1961 a basilica was inaugurated in the Virgin’s honour. The basilica, formerly a shrine, belongs to the Dominican order, entrusted by the Bishop of Leon, Luis Almarcha.
The Virgin’s liturgical feast is celebrated on 15 September.
Titles of the Virgen del Camino
In chronological order:
- Patroness of the Kingdom of Leon since 1738. A royal decree of 1778 confirmed her this same title.
- Principal Patroness of the Region of Leon. In 1914 Pope Pius X changed her earlier title to Principal Patroness of the Region of Leon.
- Pope Benedict XV granted permission for her canonical coronation. The Canonical Coronation was not held until 1930.
- Perpetual Regent of the city of Leon. She was granted this title during the Spanish Civil War, on 19 May 1938.
- Gold and diamond medal from the Provincial Council of Leon on 30 June 1954.
- Patroness of highways.
- Honorary and Perpetual Regent of the town council of Valverde de la Virgen, since 30 June 2005.
- Minor Basilica. Pope Benedict XVI granted her this title on 24 February 2009.
See also:
