The Basilica of Our Lady of El Valle ( es, Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora de El Valle) It is a
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
basilica located in
El Valle del Espíritu Santo
El Valle del Espíritu Santo is a village near Porlamar, in the Nueva Esparta state of Venezuela. Founded as the capital of the island in 1529, El Valle del Espíritu Santo is just north of Porlamar. It is the birth town of Santiago Mariño and his ...
a town on the
island of Margarita, of
Nueva Esparta state
The Nueva Esparta State (in Spanish: ''Estado Nueva Esparta'', ), is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It comprises Margarita Island, Coche, and the largely uninhabited Cubagua.
The state has the smallest area, and is located off the northe ...
, in northwestern
Venezuela.
Its name is in honor of the patron saint of the town and the
Venezuelan Navy
)
, mascot =
, battles = Venezuelan War of Independence and the Battle of Lake Maracaibo
, anniversaries = July 24, Birthday of Simon Bolivar, Navy Day and Battle of Lake Maracai ...
: the Virgen del Valle.
After being founded the church San Nicolás de Bari, it was declared Basilica of Nueva Esparta state, on September 8, 1955, so that from that date its festivities are held; beginning with the descent of the Virgin on 8 September each year, which is placed where the public can see it up close. On 8 December is the rise of the Virgin, which is placed on an altar located at the top where the priest officiates masses.
Initially a small church, the building has been modified several times. One of the modifications was coordinated by Father Philip Martinez in 1733. It was declared a Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1995.
See also
*
Roman Catholicism in Venezuela
*
Virgen del Valle
The Virgin of the Valley (Spanish: Virgen del Valle or Nuestra Señora del Valle) is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in Margarita Island, Venezuela and Catamarca, Argentina.
In Venezuela, the Virgin is the Patroness of ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basilica of Our Lady of El Valle, Church
Our Lady of El Valle
Buildings and structures in Nueva Esparta
Gothic Revival architecture in Venezuela
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1733
18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Venezuela
Margarita Island