Description
The hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Atocha, in Villardompardo, is a small church which, according to legend, was built atop the hill on which the Virgin appeared — a spot that had been an old esparto field with seven olive trees. The current image is a replica of the original, which was destroyed during the Civil War.Around the 18th century, the hermitage of the Virgen de Atocha was built over the remains of a cemetery. We do not know exactly the date or year of her apparition, but it is linked to the apparition of the Virgen de Atocha of Madrid, as both refer to the same Virgin. The story goes back a long way, as oral tradition holds that one day the great Lady appeared where her hermitage now stands. Seeing that it was the same Virgen de Atocha venerated in Madrid, people decided to return her to the Spanish capital. She appeared again at the same spot, and once again they took her to Madrid, and so on, until they decided to leave her here, as she seemed unwilling to leave Villardompardo — and so it was, once her hermitage was built. Over the years, all the people of Villardompardo came to worship her and hold great faith in her.
