El Cristo de la Victoria (Christ of Victory)
La imagen religiosa más venerada de Vigo
The Cristo de la Victoria (Christ of Victory) is the most venerated religious image in Vigo. This sculpture in Vigo is attributed to Sebastián Ucete and was a gift from Marcó del Pont, a Catalonian industrialist who lived in the city in the second half of the 18th century.
The story of this religious sculpture in Vigo is legendary, and there are several versions of its journey. It is said that the image was thrown into the sea, perhaps by a storm, or maybe to prevent it from falling into the hands of English pirates. It was given the name of Cristo de la Sal (Salt Christ) after being rescued near the Cíes Islands by a merchant ship carrying salt, and today it’s kept in the collegiate church, the Church of Santa María.
The name Cristo de la Victoria is from 1809, when Vigo’s inhabitants attributed the victory over Napoleon's troops to this particular religious icon, a historic landmark celebrated in Vigo’s Old Town every March during the La Reconquista festivities.
The image of the Cristo de la Victoria leaves the collegiate church in procession every first Sunday of August and is the city’s most multitudinous religious event, coinciding with Vigo’s Festivities.
If you've never seen a Catholic procession, you’ll be surprised by its solemnity and intensity; it’s an event motored by the crowd’s strong devotion.
Practical information
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C/ de la Palma