The Virgin of Almudena is the patron saint of Madrid

The Virgin of Almudena has been the patron saint of Madrid since 1623. This was confirmed in 1646. She is celebrated in Spain on November 9. In 1885, Pope Leo XIII issued a bull to create the diocese of Madrid. A few decades later, a cathedral was built to be the bishop's seat. This is how the cathedral of Santa María La Real de La Almudena was built.

This cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II during his fourth visit to Spain on June 15, 1993.

The name Almudena is Arabic in origin (from 711 to 1492, Spain was occupied by the Arabs). The first etymology that comes to mind is "al-mudayna", diminutive of Medina, a city in Saudi Arabia. Another etymology would be from "almudith", wheat deposit, or "Almud", measure (of wheat).

It should be noted that the ancient name of this shrine of Madrid, prior to the Muslim conquest, was "Mary the Great" (Santa Maria la Mayor).

There are several traditions about the origin of this shrine. The most famous one is that the statue of the Virgin of Almudena was hidden in a wall in the year 712, at the very beginning of the Muslim conquest. At the beginning of the Reconquest (la reconquista), in the year 1085, King Alfonso VI of León had the statue searched for. Some stones of the wall collapsed, and the statue was found with two candles still burning, despite the passing of several centuries.

Another tradition involves a Marian apparition to the Castilian hero Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called "The Cid".

It is also said that the statue was sculpted by Nicodemus, the disciple who came to meet Jesus at night; that it was painted by St. Luke, and brought to Spain by St. James. But this is difficult to confirm, as the manuscript that attests it dates from 1640! In any case, the current statue is dated around 1500, and is attributed to Diego Copín de Holanda, a sculptor of the time.

Marian Enciclopedia