Our Lady of Grace (Carmona)

Patrona de Carmona (Sevilla)

Patrona de Carmona, the Virgin of Gracia is one of the most entrenched historical Marian devotions in the province of Seville, venerated since the end of the 13th century in a Gothic size enriched by centuries of offerings.

Origin and history

The brotherhood and tradition place the origin of devotion at the end of the 13th century, with a traditional date of 1290. The image is a Gothic size, originally sedent, later transformed into a dress image, with a 15th century Child Jesus. After the decriminalization of the 19th century it was transferred from its extramurous hermitage to the Prioral Church of Santa Maria, its current seat.

The popular tradition tells that the image was hidden in the face of the Muslim conquest and found centuries later by a shepherd; upon miraculously returning to the place of the finding, his hermitage was erected. Patrona Canónica and Alcaldessa Perpetua de Carmona, the Virgin of Gracia Coronada, congregates a multitudinary novena in September and an annual rostery, with a remarkable heritage to play the fruit of the people's offering.

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