SPOOKY: Benidorm’s November Fiestas began in 1740 after a pandemic
There are patron saints of countries and industries – and even saints of earaches, comedians and unnattractive people, my mum told me.
So it’s no surprise Benidorm has a patron saint.
The November Fiestas are in honour of Benidorm’s patron, traditionally called the Virgin of the Shipwreck.
Most British people know this as the run-up to the fancy dress party – well, at least 35,000 Brits do, as that’s how many turned up for it in 2019.
COVID has now cancelled the 2020 version, but what’s spooky is people were also banned from touching the Shipwrecked Virgin back in 1740 due to fears of a pandemic.
For those who just Googled ‘Spanish Virgins’ and found this page, I’m talking about a statue of Maria and Jesús, alright.
Legend says the statue in the Old Town church came from a mysterious boat that villagers wanted to keep but the government wanted burnt in case it carried a virus.
It sounds weird, but it’s a nice, Christmassy-sort-of-story that we could probably do with in these times.
The story goes:
- In 1740, a crew-less boat glided into Benidorm’s bay and was guided ashore by three local fishermen.
- The villagers in the port were moved by a statue of the Virgin Mary that remained on the ship, unharmed, as if bringing a message of hope.
- The people wanted to keep the Virgin in Benidorm and make it their Patrona, as is common among port towns on the Costa Blanca.
- The governor of Alcoy ordered the entire ship be burnt, however, in case it still carried the virus or plague that wiped out the crew.
- When the flames died down, children went looking for scraps of wood and iron – until one found the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus in her arms in the stern of the ship, completely unharmed.
The legend grew, until religious authorities renamed it the Virgen del Sufragio and placed it in Benidorm’s Iglesia de Sant Jaume i Santa Anna – now in the Old Town, by the Mirador – in 1844.
In 1980, Benidorm’s Town Hall declared her ‘perpetual mayor’ of the city.
Every year, during the annual Benidorm November Fiestas Mayores Patronales, the discovery of the Virgen is reenacted, kicking off the week of festivities that traditionally ends with the fancy dress party.
So, there you go, without knowing you partied up in honour of Benidorm’s Shipwrecked Virgin, quite a lot of you even dressed like her.
READ MORE: Benidorm gives €214,000 reserved for November Fiestas to families struggling during COVID-19
