La Palma Drone: Las Nieves Sanctuary 4K Drone Air 2S

Описание: Place not to be missed when on La Palma: Real Santuario Insular de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (Royal Island Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snows). La Palma, Spain. The oldest Marian image in the Canary Islands still impresses people nearly half a millennium later. October 20, 2021. Drone: Air 2S.
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Las Nieves is a pretty hamlet, in the municipality of Santa Cruz, but about 2 km outside it as the crow flies. If you’re fairly fit, there’s a pretty (but rough and steep) footpath between the two.

More importantly, Las Nieves has the most gorgeous church on the island. It’s also the oldest one, dating from at least 1423 (they had missionaries here before the conquest in 1493). The current building must be newer, if only because of its size. It’s a very popular place to get married.

Our Lady of the Snows (the Virgin Mary) is the patron saint of the island, and statue of the her is painted terracotta, from the 15th century. The throne she stands on is marble covered with silver. (It’s not too clear in the photo, but it’s the thing behind the altar with all the flowers on it.

Every five years the island has a massive fiesta where the statue of the Virgin comes down to Santa Cruz for five weeks. First they bring down the throne, which separates into 12 pieces (which are still darned heavy). That isn’t so much a religious procession as a party, five miles long. Some people are staggering by the time they reach Santa Cruz. Then, a week later, they bring down the statue of the Virgin, which is a much more solemn occasion.

The Calvary statues are from the middle of the 16th century, and really beautiful. There are also four paintings in the church, given as thanks for miraculous rescues from storms at sea.
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Every five years, between the months of June and August, in Santa Cruz de La Palma, the Descent of the Virgin of the Snows, the patron of the island, is celebrated. For just over a month, an extensive programme of ludical and religious events fills the streets and squares to mark this ancestral celebration, vibrant with colour, magic and devotion .

For two weeks, the preparatory tasks for transferring the image from its sanctuary into the heart of the historic town take place. While the celebration lasts, the Virgin resides in the Church El Salvador, in the Plaza de España. Towards this urban heart, pilgrims from the entire island make their way on the last Sunday in June. Dressed in their traditional costumes, they carry the forty two pieces of silver making up the Virgin’s throne, on which the image will later be placed.

With the Pilgrimage begins the Semana Chica (Littel week), which features events as charming as the night parade of the Pandorga: thousands of lanterns made of wood and coloured paper, illuminated by the glimmer of a candle inside, are carried along the dark streets of the town centre by children, accompanied by the music band. With the Semana Grande (Big Week), which begins on the second Sunday of July, comes El desfile de Gigantes y Cabezudos (the parade of the masked people, representing characters such as the Witch, the Moon of Valencia and the Biscuit) Wednesday is the day of El Minué (the Minuet) a dance from the 18th Century, whose music and choreography were created by the Palmero composer Luis Cobiella Cuevas.

But the magic is reserved for the most popular number of the whole celebration, the performance which popular wisdom has managed to convert into its seal and symbol of identity: the Danza de los Enanos (Dance of the Dwarfs) In the first part, the dancers represent diverse characters who move to the rhythm of a changing melody: monks, Japanese men, sailors, astronomers, pilgrims, old men, students, friars, Dominican brothers, Athenians…but in the second half of the show, in a matter of seconds, the dancers are transformed into dwarfs, and the dancing of a frenzied, exciting polka commences, played by the San Miguel Music Band. From the stage area, the entourage of dwarfs moves into the crowded, cobbled streets of the capital, where they continue to repeat their lively choreography all night long, until the first rays of dawn.

On the morning of the Sunday in the Semana Grande, coinciding with the entry of the Virgin into the city, one of the simplest and, at the same time, most emotive traditional acts takes place: the Diálogo entre la Nave y el Castillo (Dialogue between the Castle and the Ship) This is a number which demonstrates like few others the close maritime ties of Santa Cruz de La Palma.

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