Popular religiosity is manifested in every corner of Salta and its visitors can witness these experiences.

The Miracle in Salta

Every September the people of Salta overflow with joy and faith, venerating their Patron Saints, The Lord and Virgin of the Miracle, in each of the different celebrations in their honor. As of September 1st, the pilgrimages begin and the Solemn Triduum takes place on the 13th, 14th and 15th, culminating on this last day with the procession and renewal of the Pact of Fidelity, attracting more than 800,000 people year after year.

500 years ago, only pilgrims from this land made their way by walking, today we can make a pilgrimage and reach this land of Salta from where our ancestors opened paths to reach the most beautiful abode “The Sanctuary of the Lord and the Virgin of the Miracle”, sheltered in the Cathedral Basilica since 1592. Every year, pilgrims from all over the province come to Salta walking from the most distant places located in the Andean North, Puna, the Valles Calchaquíes, etc.

Going deeper into the history of this celebration, tradition says that the Dominican friar Francisco Victoria sent a holy Christ from Spain as a gift to the church of Salta. The image arrived floating in a box at the port of El Callao, Perú, along with another that contained the image of the Virgin of the Rosary.

In the port of El Callao the first miracle occurs: the people of the city see the boxes floating on the waters and find the two images. The ship was never heard from, nor the crew that brought them. When the delegation arrived in Salta, the image of Christ was placed in the Altar of the Souls. 100 years passed and the Christ was completely forgotten. In September 1692 the earthquakes began and the city of Esteco was destroyed; but the signs of protection for the City of Salta were evident. The devastated people headed towards the plaza and those who entered the tabernacle were able to see the image of the Virgin fallen from its niche, in a supplicating attitude. At that moment, Father José Carrión heard a voice telling him that as long as the abandoned Santo Cristo was not taken out in procession, the earthquakes would not stop. With difficulty they lowered the image and the bells called for the first procession where a crowd cried out for mercy, and the tremors ended. Between those first men and women, and the Christ and the Virgin, the Pact of Fidelity was sealed; a pact that we renew year after year. The inhabitants of the interior of the province arrive on foot in procession from their distant places of origin, bringing their images to participate. Christ and the Virgin, after the renewal of the Pact of Fidelity, return to the Cathedral and before entering a rain of red, white and pink carnation petals falls from the bell tower to the rhythm of the ringing of bells and the white handkerchiefs of the faithful bid them farewell.

Easter

In the Andean region, “The Via Crucis de las Piedras in Iruya” attracts a lot of attention due to the community assembly of the hermitages in the streets of a majestic town surrounded by mountains. A Via Crucis torchlight procession that runs through the steep streets of the town. Likewise, the traditional “Santa Ana Game,” which consists of an exchange of miniature crafts in the style of traditional bartering, has a magical purpose linked to the ritual aspects of fertility and Andean life cycles.

In Chicoana and Rosario de la Frontera, the scenic representations of the Living Via Crucis are unmatched in the display of production and fervor of those who participate.
Another of the notable events takes place in Metán: the “Vía Crucis Gaucho” that involves the entire community and especially the forts whose riders, mounted on horses and wearing traditional clothing, march through the different stations.

In the Calchaquí Valleys, the Via Crucis processions with great popular participation have as their distinctive reference the “Burning of Judas.” This ceremony includes the reading of the Testament of Judas, a picturesque narration of the virtues and defects of the town's residents, culminating with the Burning of a Rag Doll representing the talker and traitor.

Finally, the City of Salta also accompanies this great popular mysticism with the circuit of the 7 churches. The penitential Stations of the Cross of the Cathedral Church attract people to participate. In the case of the Church of La Merced, the processional Via Crucis with the images of the Reclining Christ and the Dolorosa is a truly exciting event.

For its part, also in the capital of Salta, thousands of faithful gather at the Cross of the Eucharistic Congress, to leave from there towards San Bernardo Hill, where they participate in the traditional Via Crucis. The ritual, one of the most heartfelt in Christianity, consists of spiritually walking the path that Jesus took to Mount Calvary while he carried the Cross. The activities are headed by Archbishop Mario Antonio Cargnello.

During these sacred days, all the devotion of a believing people is shared with the visitor. Added to this, various options for landscape, culture and tradition. Featured services such as the Train to the Clouds, the High Mountain Museum, and the San Francisco Convent, propose combining a range of possibilities to fully enjoy this Holy Week in Salta.

Pachamama

Popular Religiosity. The ceremony to Pachamama <Mother Earth> is an ancient Aboriginal custom that survives to this day. It is the gratitude of the people for everything they offer, an offering that begins with the invocation of the Virgin Mary or the patron saint of the place.

Generation after generation, this ancestral ritual is carried out in private homes or public places. The Aboriginal heart and spirit are confused with the surprised gaze of those who observe with curiosity the development of this ritual, the greatest exponent of religious syncretism, where Inca pagan customs are confused with the Catholic religion and the traditions of each locality. Inside a well dug in the ground, after the traditional "Kusilla, kusilla, Pachamama", drinks and food are poured into the well: beer, chicha, wine, liquor, locro, corn, squash, coca leaves, tobacco... .all that is possible thanks to the bounty of the earth.

Festivities

The patron saint festivities are a unique and indescribable fusion, this religious syncretism can only be understood if you live its experience. Throughout the province of Salta there is an expression of permanent religiosity, witnesses of these traditions are the chapels, churches, sanctuaries, religious and sacred museums; It is a province where the faith of its people is alive. + info

Immaculate Mother of the Divine Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Hermitage

The construction was carried out with the work of servants and pilgrims who came to the place.

The work on the Hermitage began in May 2001 and from that date onwards the prayer of the Holy Rosary began on Saturday afternoons. Added to those days are pilgrims who go up to visit the place on weekdays, doing so along a pedestrian path built to access the place, from the base of the hill, traveling 1,500 meters - this route can also be done by car - and climbing 500 meters. meters high to reach the top of the highest hill next to the City of Salta, in the Tres Cerritos neighborhood.