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Virgen del Carmen

  The Virgen del Carmen, also known as the Queen of the Seas, is the patron saint of fishermen and mariners.  During the evening of 16th July, teams of volunteers take the statue from the church and parade her through the narrow streets of the town – packed with celebrating locals – and then down to the sea, where she is lovingly placed on a small boat adorned with flowers and candles. A flotilla of fishing boats and assorted pleasure craft – all guaranteed to be packed with spectators – surrounds the boat with the Virgen, while hundreds of people also wade fully clothed into the sea as the beloved statue is sailed a short distance down the coastline. As daylight fades, the Virgen is safely returned to the church, where a mass is held in memory of those fishermen and sailors who have been lost at sea. History: Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Virgen del Carmen) is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries. They built a chapel in the midst of their hermitages which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whom they conceived of in chivalric terms as the "Lady of the place." Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is the patron saint of Chile. Please watch the videos below from last year´s festival: clickclick
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