Most Holy Virgin of the Mountain

Patron saint of Cáceres

In the Sierra de la Mosca, above the city, the sanctuary of the Mountain guards the patron saint of Cáceres; every spring, her "Descent" to the city culminates with the handing over of the staff of command to the Virgin.

Origin and history

The Virgin has been venerated at the Sanctuary of the Mountain since the 17th century; the image that presides over the altarpiece dates from that century, and the current building was erected in the 18th century in the Sierra de la Mosca, a hill overlooking the city. Pious tradition recounts that in 1621 the pilgrim Francisco Paniagua arrived in Cáceres, withdrew as a hermit to the mountains, and decided to build a sanctuary there to the Virgin.

The Town Council granted the Virgin of the Mountain the title of patron saint of Cáceres in 1688, and Pope Pius X ratified the patronage in 1906. Its most distinctive feature is the "Descent": the image is moved from the mountains to the co-cathedral of Santa María; on the route, the mayor receives it in Fuente Concejo and gives it the city's staff of office, a sign of its patronage.

Canonical coronation: not found in the sources.