The Sanctuary of the sacred image of Vilar,4 km. from the centre of Blanes is a strong centre of attraction for the whole region ever since the year 1012 when the statue of the Virgin of the Vilar was found on August the fifth. In the year 1794 the French invasion began. A great number of towns were laid waste and a dreadful panic took hold of the whole region. In those dark moments Blanes remembered the Virgin or the Vilar and on the 3rd of December, 1794, the image was carried to the town to invoke its protection. The invasion was repelled and the French army was unable to force the line of the river Fluvia and the war finally ended on the 22nd of June 1795. In grateful thanks, Blanes dedicated the town to the Virgin of the Vilar and carried the image back to the chapel on the 24th October 1795. Since then the tradition has been maintained: the townspeople renew their vows in a solemn ceremony which takes place every year on the last Sunday in October. |
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