Virgin Pilgrim

"A Virxe Peregrina" · patron of Pontevedra (Spain)

In the centre of Pontevedra, a temple of plant in the form of a Vieira welcomes the Virgin Peregrina, patron of the city and protector of the pilgrims from the Portuguese Way to Santiago.

Origin and history

The devotion to the Virgin Pilgrim was rooted in Pontevedra linked to the Portuguese Way to Santiago, which crosses the city: the Virgin is represented with attributes of pilgrim, accompanying those who march towards Compostela. In the 18th century, the characteristic plant sanctuary in the form of a Vieira, a Jacobeo symbol par excellence, was raised in its honor.

Proclaimed patron of Pontevedra, her feast of the second Sunday of August - preceded by the ninth - is one of the great celebrations of the city. The sanctuary, jewel of the Galician baroque, remains a prayer point for neighbors and pilgrims.