Our Lady of Puy

Patron Saint of Estella-Lizarra

Our Lady of Puy, also known as Saint Mary of Puy, is the most beloved Marian devotion in Estella-Lizarra. Tradition places the discovery of the image around 1085: shepherds from Abárzuza, astonished by a glow or "shower of stars" over a mound, found the buried statue, which, according to the story, had been hidden long before the arrival of the Muslims. It is also said that King Sancho Ramírez, informed of the miracle, ordered a church to be built there. It is important to distinguish: this account of the discovery is a pious and legendary tradition, repeated in devotional and tourist sources, but not documented in contemporary sources. The first historical references to the sanctuary date from the second half of the 12th century, with concessions granted by the Bishop of Pamplona, Pedro de Artajona, to the "sixty" of Estella.

Main data

Origin and history

Our Lady of Puy, also known as Saint Mary of Puy, is the most beloved Marian devotion in Estella-Lizarra. Tradition places the discovery of the image around 1085: shepherds from Abárzuza, astonished by a glow or "shower of stars" over a mound, found the buried statue, which, according to the story, had been hidden long before the arrival of the Muslims. It is also said that King Sancho Ramírez, informed of the miracle, ordered a church to be built there. It is important to distinguish: this account of the discovery is a pious and legendary tradition, repeated in devotional and tourist sources, but not documented in contemporary sources. The first historical references to the sanctuary date from the second half of the 12th century, with concessions granted by the Bishop of Pamplona, Pedro de Artajona, to the "sixty" of Estella.

The image and the sanctuary

The image is a Gothic wooden carving, covered in silver, with polychrome decoration on the face and hands, dating from the 13th-14th centuries. It is venerated in the Basilica of Our Lady of Puy, located on the hill overlooking Estella. The current church is a modern basilica, built between 1949 and 1951, which replaced earlier churches erected on the same site over the centuries.

Sponsorship and coronation

Our Lady of Puy is the patron saint or co-patron saint of Estella-Lizarra. Local tradition links her proclamation as patron saint to the city's gratitude following the so-called miracle of Fuenterrabía (1638). Regarding the canonical coronation, the sources consulted allude to it in connection with the establishment of the feast day on May 25th, but do not specify the year, so it is noted as not recorded.

Party and devotion

The Puy festival itself is celebrated on May 25th. Furthermore, the Virgin Mary plays a prominent role in the patron saint festivities of Estella, held around the first Sunday of August, in honor of Saint Andrew and the Virgin of Puy. A devotional tradition recounts the so-called miracle of Fuenterrabía (1638): during the defense of that town, many Estella residents were fighting on the most dangerous front and entrusted themselves to the Virgin of Puy, who, according to the story, appeared to them promising that they would all return safe and sound. In gratitude, the city intensified its devotion to her. It is passed down as a traditional miracle, not as a historically proven fact.

Link to the Rosary

The sources consulted do not establish a specific connection between this Marian devotion and Rosary confraternities, votive rosaries, or miracles linked to its recitation; therefore, a concrete link with the Rosary is not established. Nevertheless, devotion to Our Lady of Puy is practiced with affection, and, as in so many Marian shrines, the Rosary accompanies the prayers of the faithful who ascend to her basilica.