Virgin of the Underground

Marian devotion of Santa María la Real de Nieva (Castilla y León)

The villa and the monastery of Santa María la Real de Nieva were founded at the beginning of the 15th century by the queen Catalina de Lancaster, wife of Henry III. The devotion to the Virgin "of the Soterraña" is linked to this monastic environment and to the Spanish court.

Main data

Origin and history

The villa and the monastery of Santa María la Real de Nieva were founded at the beginning of the 15th century by the queen Catalina de Lancaster, wife of Henry III. The devotion to the Virgin "of the Soterraña" is linked to this monastic environment and to the Spanish court.

Pious tradition tells of the image's discovery in a crypt or "buried" place, from which the title Soterraña (Underground) is said to derive; this account is passed down as tradition, without any medieval document explicitly confirming it. The widespread devotion among the Castilian court and nobility is well documented: the will of Queen Catherine of Lancaster, with bequests to the monastery, is preserved, attesting to the sanctuary's prestige.

The image and the sanctuary

The image is venerated in the Real Monastery of Santa María la Real de Nievain whose priestly church he receives veneration. The abundance of exvotes and their status as a local sanctuary for many peoples of the land of Pinares and the surrounding area are collected in art studies and local history.

Sponsorship and coronation

She is a patron of the municipality of Santa María la Real de Nieva. His canonical coronation took place in 1958, according to the diocesan chronicle and the local press of the diocese of Segovia.

Party and devotion

The main party is held 15 Septemberas a local major party in honor of the Virgin of the Soterraña, according to municipal programs and local chronicles.

Link to the Rosary

The sources consulted do not mention a specific Rosary confraternity or practice uniquely linked to the Soterraña, apart from the general devotion to the Rosary present in most parishes and monasteries.