Our Lady of the Hyinite

Marian Advocation of La Hiniesta (Castilla y León)

Our Lady of the Hyinite is a devotion of medieval root, with historical constancy since the Middle Ages in relation to Zamora and her alfoz. Its sanctuary is in the municipality of La Hiniesta, in the province of Zamora, although devotion is very linked to the city of Zamora. Tradition tells that the image appeared in the retamas or hinies, from where the name comes from, and that the Zamorans adopted it as a special protection; by not recording a story with unique verifiable detail, it is appropriate to present it as a pious tradition.

Main data

Origin and history

Our Lady of the Hyinite is a devotion of medieval root, with historical constancy since the Middle Ages in relation to Zamora and her alfoz. Its sanctuary is in the municipality of La Hiniesta, in the province of Zamora, although devotion is very linked to the city of Zamora. Tradition tells that the image appeared in the retamas or hinies, from where the name comes from, and that the Zamorans adopted it as a special protection; by not recording a story with unique verifiable detail, it is appropriate to present it as a pious tradition.

The image and the sanctuary

The image is venerated in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Hiniesta, in La Hiniesta (Zamora). There is also an image of the Hiniesta closely linked to the cathedral of Zamora and the life of the diocese, a sign of the link between the villa and the city.

Sponsorship and coronation

She is a patron of the municipality of La Hiniesta, and very venerated in Zamora city, whose main patron is the Virgin of the Concha. On its canonical coronation there is no data on the sources consulted.

Party and devotion

His main feast is held on the Monday of Pentecost, the day of the Romry from the city of Zamora to the shrine of La Hiniesta, one of the most significant religious and traditional acts of the region, with involvement of the city and the diocese year after year.

Link to the Rosary

The main cult is marked by the rosemary and the solemn mass, with the prayer of the Rosary as common practice. There is no specific link in the sources consulted to this advocation with the Rosary.