The people of Maó’s devotion to the Virgin of Gracia is ancestral. This is evidenced by the fact that in 1535, after the plundering of Barbarroja, the hermitage that sheltered her image was restored by alms donated by the faithful. The temple can be found at a short distance from Maó on the way to Sant Esteve bay, where the copulas between the cypresses foretell the beauty of this spiritual place.

Nuestra Señora de Gracia stands next to the path of the ancient Roman road which used to connect Maó with Sant Esteve bay. Some sources indicate that in the year 418 there was already an Augustine convent in existence in this spot although the present hermitage was built during the best part of the XV century and was later extended by the addition of other buildings such as the cemetery.

The hermitage has a neoclassical facade and a slender bell tower. Only four interesting reliefs remain of the ancient baroque altarpiece crafted by Jacinto Brull, a reflection of the many changes the temple has undergone throughout its historical evolution.

In 1535 the hermitage was pillaged and destroyed by the Turkish pirates of Barbarroja. Still, in spite of the destruction and the precarious situation of the inhabitants of the island, followers managed to rebuild it thanks to donations and alms.

The spot had other uses during the XVII C, a time of great upheaval in Menorca, serving as a military hospital for English, French and Spanish squadrons. In 1808 it became an artillery depot for a while.

In 1934 a bolt of lightening brought down the cupola of the presbytery and split a great part of the walls of the building. Two years later the statue of the Virgin of Gracia disappeared with the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. When the fighting was over, the sculptor Waldemar Fenn replicated the image. 

All this gives the devotion of the people of Maó for the Virgin of Gracia deep roots, particularly for sailors, as is made clear in the hermitage’s interior. One of the more representative votive offerings therein is related to boats.

In former times, sailors would ask for the protection of the Virgin of Gracia from the strong gusts of the Tramuntana wind and to this purpose they left a reproduction of their boats. They also brought paintings of their vessels, some of which are still preserved and hang on the walls of the hermitage. The curious inscriptions that accompany them give the date and motive of the offering.

The hermitage lies south of the city of Maó towards Sant Esteve bay. On the 8th of September this city celebrates the festival of the patron saint of Our Lady of Gracia.

Length: 2´45 min.

Usage or copying of any audio, video and text documents of teleweb_ibiza.com in other electronic or print publications without explicit permission is not authorised.
Teleweb spanish · Teleweb german
Impress · Contact · Home
Teleweb Mallorca · Teleweb Ibiza and Formentera
All rights reserved. © Mallorca Fernsehen S.L.