Today is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a public holiday here in Spain.
And this is the day that the city of Algeciras celebrates its patron saint, the Virgen de la Palma.
According to the newspaper, Sur, in a way unique to the city, a statue of the Virgin, which is otherwise held in a locked cave under the waters of the bay, is recovered by divers and brought ashore on the shoulders of a large procession of faithful pilgrims.
The Virgin, who is also called the ‘alcaldesa perpetua’ (the perpetual mayor) of Algeciras, is then returned to her grotto at the end of the day accompanied by a display of fireworks on both sea and land. There is a mass in the Virgin´s honour, and at 11pm she returns to the sea.
Legend has it that a ship from Italy bound for Cadiz was forced to stop at Algeciras because of bad weather. But as the weather started to improve, the ship tried to leave but was unable to – until all the goods in the hold had been unloaded. Here they found the image of the Virgin, and as soon as they had taken it out, the bad weather cleared and they were able to set sail for Cadiz. The people of Algeciras believed it was a sign that the Virgin wanted to stay in their town and become their saint.
Today this ‘romería marítima’ brings tens of thousands of people to the Rinconcillo beach every year, to witness this unusual spectacle.
Read the full story here.