Virgen del Puerto Hermitage

Virgen del Puerto Hermitage is located at Paseo Bajo de la Virgen del Puerto s/n, in the area now included in Madrid Río.

It was built following instuctions of the Marquise de Vadillo (1646-1729), mayor of Madrid from 1715 to 1729. Francisco Salcedo y Aguirre had also been mayor of Plasencia. The saint patron of Palencia is the Virgen del Puerto (Virgen of the Pass). This is the origin of this Madrilian Virgin.

The hermitage was built by Pedro de Ribera. It has a cross plan and a central dome. The building was started in 1716 and finished two years later Pedro de Ribera was a disciple of Jose de Churriguera.


Other buildings by Pedro de Ribera are Nuestra Señora de Montserrat Church, San Cayetano Church, San Jose Church, etc.
The hermitage was seriously damaged during the Civil War and restored in the 50s of last century. It was declared a national monument in 1957.

The Marquise of Vadillo is buried in the chapel.

In September a popular pilmgrimage takes place. It used to be just for people from Galicia living in Madrid. It is said that many came to sell melons, that is why these feast is also known as La Melonera.

The Virgen del Puerto is the saint patron of Arganzuela district.

@Copyright 2008, 2009 Mª Dolores Diehl Busch. All rights reserved.
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