Fiesta de la Virgen de las 40 Horas
The small city of Limache swells to three or four times its population in the last week of February when penitents and the faithful flock to the city for the annual celebrations of the La Virgen de las 40 Horas, the Feast of the Virgin of 40 Hours.
There are two schools of thought about the naming of the Catholic festival. One attributes it to the arrival of the founders during the 40 hours, or three days, after the Crucifixion before Easter Sunday.
The other credits the miracle in which the Virgin Mary rescued a group of fishermen and sailors thought lost in a storm at sea 40 hours after their ship went down.
Whatever the reason, the festivities begin in Limache (orient yourself with this interactive map from Expedia) 40 hours before the last Sunday in Frebruary, with masses every hour in the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Cuarenta Horas and culminate on Sunday with a procession through the city.
The church is one of the four original parish churches in Chile. Founded in 1652, it was destroyed by fire in 1954, and rebuilt on the same site.
Limache is blessed with a favorable Mediterranean climate. Located in the province of Quillota in the V Region, it is only a half hour away from Valparaiso or Viña del Mar . The capital, Santiago is only 150 km away. The region is agricultural, known for its tomatoes and other produce, and is a growing vacation and recreational area.
If you attend the Fiesta de la Virgen de las 40 Horas, be prepared for huge crowds.
Buen viaje!
There are two schools of thought about the naming of the Catholic festival. One attributes it to the arrival of the founders during the 40 hours, or three days, after the Crucifixion before Easter Sunday.
The other credits the miracle in which the Virgin Mary rescued a group of fishermen and sailors thought lost in a storm at sea 40 hours after their ship went down.
Whatever the reason, the festivities begin in Limache (orient yourself with this interactive map from Expedia) 40 hours before the last Sunday in Frebruary, with masses every hour in the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Cuarenta Horas and culminate on Sunday with a procession through the city.
The church is one of the four original parish churches in Chile. Founded in 1652, it was destroyed by fire in 1954, and rebuilt on the same site.
Limache is blessed with a favorable Mediterranean climate. Located in the province of Quillota in the V Region, it is only a half hour away from Valparaiso or Viña del Mar . The capital, Santiago is only 150 km away. The region is agricultural, known for its tomatoes and other produce, and is a growing vacation and recreational area.
If you attend the Fiesta de la Virgen de las 40 Horas, be prepared for huge crowds.
Buen viaje!