Our Lady of the Valley of Ecija

Marian Advocation of Écija (Andalusia)
Recognized by the Church

Our Lady of the Valley is the patron of Écija (Seville). An ancient tradition dates back to his devotion to the 6th century: Saint Fulgencio, Bishop of Écija, would have given the image to his sister Saint Florentine for the monastery that he founded in the valley on the outskirts of the city, from where he would be named. Legend adds that the size, attributed to Saint Luke, came from the East through Saint Leandro and Saint Isidoro.

Main data

Origin and history

Our Lady of the Valley is the patron of Écija (Seville). An ancient tradition dates back to his devotion to the 6th century: Saint Fulgencio, Bishop of Écija, would have given the image to his sister Saint Florentine for the monastery that he founded in the valley on the outskirts of the city, from where he would be named. Legend adds that the size, attributed to Saint Luke, came from the East through Saint Leandro and Saint Isidoro.

The image and the sanctuary

Se venera en Écija. La devoción astigitana la conoce como «del Valle Coronada».

Sponsorship and coronation

Ecija's patron. It was canonically crowned on September 8, 1999, in front of six thousand Ejanos in the park of St. Paul.

Party and devotion

His parties honor the Virgin of the Valley, deeply rooted in the history of the city. Devotion to his patron is a sign of the identity of the people.

Link to the Rosary

From the valley to the altar, the prayer of the people goes up as incense; the Rosary is that inner valley where Mary gathers, one by one, the pleas of her children.