Our Lady of the Rosary

Patrona de A Coruña · the "Vote of the Rosary" of 1589

The patron of A Coruña is Our Lady of the Rosary, venerated in the Dominican church of Santo Domingo; her patronage was born of a solemn vow made in front of her image during the siege of Francis Drake in 1589, when the city was entrusted to the Rosary and resisted.

Origin and history

In 1589, Coruña was besieged by the "English Invincible," a large squadron under Francis Drake who attacked the city in May. The defense was heroic and the victory was anchored in the civic and religious memory of Coruñesa. According to tradition, in the heart of the crisis, a group of eighteen Coruñes went to the Dominican convent where Our Lady of the Rosary was venerated and made a solemn vow before her image: if the Virgin were to deliver the city, she would be given special cults and a day of feast. The "Vote of the Rosary" was the origin of the patronage, documented in the municipal acts at least since 1616. The detail of the eighteen people belongs to the plane of popular piety.

The convent of Santo Domingo was set on fire by the English when it withdrew in 1589; it was rebuilt in its current location between 1596 and 1617, and the Dominican community has since maintained the preaching and promotion of the Rosary as a characteristic of the church. The holiday was first set on July 2 and later on October 7, the feast of the Virgin of the Rosary. In January 1809, following the arrival of the French army, the Coruñeses renewed their vote, and the memory of that double protection was linked to the identity of the city. The image was canonically crowned in the 20th century by Cardinal Quiroga Palacios, by the concession of John XXIII.

The exact year of canonical coronation is not recorded in the sources.