Santa María la Real de la Almudena in resin.
In 714, when Madrid was about to be invaded by the Arabs, the statue of the Holy Virgin was hidden by the Christians within the walls, and remained there for three hundred and sixty-nine years.
In 1083, D. Afonso VI, king of Castile, defeated the Moors and reconquered Madrid. It was then that they started looking for the image but without success. One night, a miracle happened. The wall broke exactly where the statue was kept. To everyone's astonishment, the candles were still lit and the image, which was in perfect condition, was promptly taken to its original altar.
It is to Santa Maria A Real de Almudena that the people of Madrid thank all the miracles, especially those that occurred in times of war and famine.
Santa Maria Real de Almudena is the patron saint of Madrid and her feast day is November 9th.
