Marian devotion

Santa María la Mayor de Burgos

Marian Advocation of Burgos (Castilla y León)
Recognized by the Church

Santa María la Mayor is the patron saint of Burgos and its archdiocese. Her title recalls the inscription that King Alfonso X the Wise placed as the motto of the cathedral in 1260: "This is the church dedicated to Santa María, the greatest of Castile."

Main data

Place: Burgos (Castilla y León, Spain)
Party: August 15

Origin and history

Santa María la Mayor is the patron saint of Burgos and its archdiocese. Her title recalls the inscription that King Alfonso X the Wise placed as the motto of the cathedral in 1260: "This is the church dedicated to Santa María, the greatest of Castile."

The image and the sanctuary

It is venerated in Burgos Cathedral; the titular image, from the 15th century, has occupied the center of the main altarpiece since 1596, right under the Assumption of the Virgin carved by Juan de Anchieta.

Sponsorship and coronation

Patron saint of the Archdiocese of Burgos. No canonical coronation is recorded.

Party and devotion

Her feast day is celebrated on August 15, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, with the renewal of the city's vow. This devotion is a defining characteristic of the city.

Link to the Rosary

"The Greatest of Castile": in the most beautiful Gothic cathedral, Mary reigns as Mother; the Rosary is the inner cathedral, made of Hail Marys, where the soul crowns her every day.

A flower for the Virgin

It offers a simple prayer to this advocation. Pray a Hail Mary for Spain and for the peace of the world.

Pray Hail Mary
Sources: tradition of the sanctuary, diocesan information and Wikipedia in Spanish. The distinction between popular piety and documented ecclesial history is specific to this fact sheet; extraordinary accounts are presented as devotion and not as doctrinal pronunciation.

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