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Patron Virgin Marys of Spain
We are from Madrid and our medals are designed here, so we couldn't help but talk about our patron saint: the Virgin of Almudena, whose feast day is celebrated every November 9, a public holiday in the city.
A Virgin hidden in the city wall
Tradition has it that, with the arrival of the Muslims, the Christians of Madrid hid an image of the Virgin in a niche in the city wall to protect it. Centuries later, when Alfonso VI entered the city in the 11th century, the image appeared when a piece of the wall near the old cuesta de la Vega broke off. Her name comes from the Arabic al-mudayna, the citadel: the Virgin «of the wall».
Madrid's youngest cathedral
The Cathedral of Santa María la Real de la Almudena, opposite the Royal Palace, took more than a century to build and was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. It is there that the patron saint is venerated today.
How Madrid celebrates November 9
- The floral offering of the people of Madrid to the Virgin in the days leading up to it.
- The solemn mass in the Plaza Mayor or in the cathedral, and the procession through the city center.
- The Almudena crown: the crown-shaped pastry that fills Madrid bakeries during these days.
- The Almudenas saint, a very Madrid-specific name that deserves a congratulations.
A medal for a Madrid native
If you have an Almudena nearby, or a Madrid native who lives far away and misses her city, a medal is a gift that lasts a lifetime. These are the ones most commonly worn in Madrid:
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is also highly revered in Madrid: we tell you the history of the Basilica of La Milagrosa in Madrid, on García de Paredes Street, and here you can find all the models of our Milagrosa medal.
Discover all our medals, designed in Madrid and handmade in Spain, with 24–72 h shipping, free from €65, and always gift-wrapped. And if you are looking for a saint with another name, check out our medals by name.
Marian and Barbara