La Fiesta del Fe - Salta´s Massive Pilgrimmage

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La Fiesta del Señor y la Virgen del Milagro is the biggest religious festival in the North of Argentina. It saw groups of devout Catholics walk from miles around, some of them for days on end, to pay homage to the images of Christ and the Virgin Mary. The story goes that 400 years ago these images staved off earthquakes and saved the city of Salta. On 15 September each year this miracle is commemorated.

So we two non-Catholics decided to join in and see what it was all about. There were, according to the press, 450,000 people in the plaza. At one stage we thought we would never get to the plaza, but knowing the short-cuts through shopping arcades helped and we were able to get a reasonably uncrowded spot. Then we waited, and waited, and waited! The bell ringers made so much noise we couldn't hear the mass or the announcements, but as soon as the first icon left the cathedral at 4.15 the crowd became animated and white hankies were waved with aplomb! At times there was a surge as little old ladies tried to push closer to the front. It was quite a bizarre experience to be shoved out of the way by an octogenarian keen for a closer look at a 400 year old statue of Christ!

It was an interesting experience, but I think you have to be a devout Catholic to really understand the attraction of such an occasion. Instead of hanging around the plaza waiting for the procession to take the images around the city and return to the cathedral in a shower of flower petals, we headed to the cinema! The Bourne Ultimatum was pretty good!!

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Photos

Pilgrims
Pilgrims come from all over the Northwest of Argentina, many walking for days to get to Salta.

Crowds
It was almost impossible to get to the plaza at all!

450,000
That's how many were in the plaza according to the press. As each image was brought out of the cathedral, white handkerchiefs were waved.

The Faithful
The plaza really was full.

Just a glimpse
For most of the crowd, a glimpse of the iconic images was all they got.

Campanologists
The bell ringers made a lot of noise. Quite often it was impossible to hear the mass (relayed over a loudspeaker system) because of the sound of bellringing.

Zzzzz......!
It was all too much for some!

El Señor del Milagro
Inside the cathedral the following day it was much easier to see what everyone had travelled so far just to catch a glimpse of.

Resplendant in Glory
The altar of Salta´s cathedral

Optical Illusion?
The floor of the cathedral will play tricks with your eyes!

Comments

[anonymous]

is verry good!!! the info that they say and I thik it is true=)