A crowd gathered this Thursday around the Virgin of Carmen, patroness of Marbella, in the Rosario de la Aurora, starting at 6:30 AM, in the second festivity since her Coronation in October 2024.
The Virgin of Carmen Coronada once again brought together thousands of faithful in Marbella in the early hours of July 16. With the first light of day, the image left the church of La Encarnación to traverse the streets of the town centre to Cable beach, where a mass was held presided over by the bishop of Málaga, José Antonio Satué Huerto, who was making his debut at an event in the city.
A fervent journey from dawn
At 6:30 AM, the members of the Brotherhood carried the patroness from her altar. The procession moved through the streets of Trinidad, Salinas, and Arte until reaching Blas Infante square, where an altar had been set up. The procession continued along Sol street, where locals threw flower petals, and proceeded along Severo Ochoa avenue to Cable beach.
There, on the sand, the mass was celebrated for the twelfth consecutive year, with the presence of Bishop Satué Huerto, who has only been in charge of the Málaga diocese for ten months. The slightly cloudy sky and cool temperature accompanied the event, which was enlivened by the Ortigosa brothers.
The blessing of the waters and the maritime procession
One of the most emotional moments came when the Virgin was introduced into the sea to bless the waters. After the mass, at 9:00 AM, attendees enjoyed the traditional breakfast of churros with chocolate. From 9:30 AM, the image was embarked at the Port of La Bajadilla for the maritime procession to the Virgen del Carmen Sports Port, with an offering to the missing sailors.
Back on land, the procession travelled along Miguel Cano and Ramón y Cajal avenues, entered the Old Town via Pedraza street, and returned to the church of La Encarnación through the plaza de Los Naranjos. The Banda de Nuestra Señora del Rocío de Málaga provided the music during the transfer.
Evening procession to close the day
In the afternoon, at 7:00 PM, the Virgin will once again go out in a land procession from the church of La Encarnación. The route will include the streets of Trinidad, Arte, Salinas, Padre Jesús Nazareno, Nabeul, Severo Ochoa, Antonio Montero Sánchez, Duque de Ahumada (seafront), Miguel Cano, Ramón y Cajal, Huerta Chica, plaza de la Victoria, Estación, plaza de los Naranjos, General Chinchilla, Carmen, and Plaza de la Iglesia.
For those faithful who cannot attend, there is the option to follow the procession live through the official channels of the Marbella City Council. The day represents a boost to religious tourism on the Costa del Sol, with thousands of visitors joining locals to honour the patroness.
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