Our Lady of Sorrows

"Virgen de los Volcanos" · White Mancha (Lanzarote)

In Mancha Blanca, the Virgin of the Dolores - called by the people "Virgin of the Volcanoes" - recalls the eruptions that Lanzarote had in the 18th century and which, according to tradition, ceased before the vote and prayer of the island.

Origin and history

The tradition places the origin of this advocation in the volcanic eruptions of 1730-1736, the largest in the history of Lanzarote, when the population came to the Virgin of the Dolores calling for the cessation of the lavas. The devotional account states that, after the procession and the vow to erect a hermitage, volcanic activity stopped; hence the names of Virgin of the Dolores and "Virgin of the Volcanoes."

The White Mancha hermitage is raised in response to those eruptions, although there are no documents setting the exact date of its construction. The island also retains the memory of the 1824 eruption, associated with a new manifestation of devotion. It is one of Lanzarote's most popular devotions, venerated as an island patron; its feast is September 15 and July 31 is celebrated on "Volcano Day."

Canonical coronation and formal patronage: not recorded in the sources.