Virxe da Rocha

The Virgin of the Rock is a 15-meter high stone sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with a viewpoint accessible from within, located on Mount Sansón (or Mount San Roque), at 100 m above sea level, in the Rías Baixas, within the municipality of Pontevedra, Spain. History The idea for its construction came from engineer Laureano Salgado Rodríguez. The first stone was laid on September 18, 1910, and a small box of tin containing two coins of gold, two of silver, and two of bronze, along with a copy of the record of the event, was placed on top. To raise funds for the construction, Mercedes de la Escalera organized collections through popular subscriptions and the performance of the play The Virgin of the Rock: A Lyrical Approach, with lyrics by Xosé María Barreiro and music by the priest Ángel Rodulfo, in Baiona in September 1910, in other Galician cities, at the Teatro Real de Madrid in 1911 (donated by entrepreneur Luis Calleja Fernández) and in Latin America. The execution of the work was slow due to economic difficulties and it was inaugurated on September 14, 1930. Description It measures 15 m in height. The stone carving was designed by architect Antonio Palacios, and the Face and hands, which are made of white marble, were crafted by Madrid sculptor Ángel García Díaz, a frequent collaborator of Palacios. The crown is surrounded by a halo of azulejos and stone that rests on the shoulder. The interior of the monument is hollow and features a spiral staircase, initially made of wood and iron, later replaced by one of stone, created by local mason Angelito Vernet, which allows access to the boat that the Virgin holds in her right hand. With a capacity for five people, it serves as a viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Next to the monument, the recreational park "Mercedes de la Escalera" was later established, which is large in size, equipped with a Stations of the Cross, restored in 2014, benches, and stone tables, where the popular pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin is celebrated on the last Sunday of August. Gallery Notes See also Bibliography Barreiro, José María (2015). Jurado, Javier; Reinero, María (eds.). The Virgin of the Rock: A Lyrical-Dramatic Approach in One Act and Three Scenes (in Spanish). ISBN 978-84-617-3643-0. Iglesias Veiga, Xosé Ramón (2002). "The Virgin of the Rock: a unique project by Antonio Palacios". Revista de Estudos Miñoranos (in Spanish). No. 2. IEM. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021. Salgado Sáenz, Luis María (2016). "The Virgin of the Rock, Baiona: the architect Antonio Palacios. Functions for the fundraising to cover the construction of the monument held at the Teatro Real de Madrid, the Teatro Principal de Santiago, outdoors in the Caldas Garden-Park, in Pastora-Vigo, in the Varietés Theater of Vilagarcía, in Las Cabañas-Vigo. Numerous participants, Castelao among others". Caldas de Reis: the Salgado brothers and M. Murguía (in Spanish). pp. 423–453. See also Portuguese Way

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