La Santina Beheaded

Country: Spain

Date of incident: June 24, 2017


On June 24, 2017, the statue of the Virgen de Covadonga on the pilgrimage route of Chorrón de Villamayor in Piloña (Asturias, Spain) was beheaded by vandals. The statue, known as "La Santina," is an image of the Virgin Mary which forms an integral part of the Asturian tradition and presides over a small cave chapel and is protected by a metal fence. The parish is upset and sees the event as an attack not only on religious sentiments, but also on cultural heritage. The Basilica of Covadonga, next to the sacred cave where pilgrims venerate the statue of La Santina, is a place of worship and pilgrimage for the people of Asturias.

Police are investigating.

Sources: La Nueva España and Info Catolica