The story
Fiesta de la Virgen del Valle in El Valle del Espiritu Santo
Each September 8, the town of El Valle del Espiritu Santo on Margarita Island becomes the center of eastern Venezuela's most important religious celebration, honoring the Virgen del Valle, patroness of the Venezuelan Navy and of Oriente, at the Minor Basilica built in her name.
El Valle del Espiritu Santo holds a special place in Margarita Island's history as the first social and administrative center established there, and its significance was cemented by the arrival of a Spanish image of the Virgin Mary that would go on to define the region's religious identity for centuries.