The Basílica de la Macarena, Seville, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Basílica de la Macarena is a church in the old quarter of Seville, built to house the Virgen de la Esperanza Macarena, one of the most venerated images of Holy Week in Andalusia. It stands beside the surviving stretch of the city walls, and for many locals it is the heart of the Macarena neighbourhood.

The story behind it

The best known tale about the Virgin is a legend, and it involves a clock. According to the story, an Italian traveller reached Seville hoping to sail for the Indies, but fell ill before boarding. He was taken to the old Hospital of the Five Wounds, today the seat of the Andalusian Parliament, and died there with no will and no one to claim his belongings.

A year later the hospital opened his suitcase and found the face and hands of a beautiful Virgin. A newly founded brotherhood nearby was searching for an image for its church and heard of the discovery. It offered a swap: the Virgin in return for a new clock the hospital badly needed. The offer was accepted, and that, says the legend, is how the Macarena came to her church. Treat it as folklore rather than documented history, but it is the story Sevillanos tell.

What to look for

• The face of the Virgen de la Esperanza Macarena at the altar, with the tears on her cheeks that devotees know so well.
• The mood inside the church, where locals come to pray quietly, which shows how alive the devotion still is.
• The old city wall and the Arco de la Macarena close by, a reminder that this was once the edge of Seville.
• The brick bulk of the former Hospital of the Five Wounds a short walk away, the building at the centre of the clock legend.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the church, longer if you also want to walk along the wall and to the Parliament building.
• Go early in the day for a calmer visit. During Holy Week the area is extremely crowded.
• It is a working place of worship, so dress modestly, keep your voice low and check current opening hours and visiting rules before you go.
• The brotherhood also runs a museum nearby. Check whether it is open on the day of your visit.

See it on a quest

Off The Beaten Path Seville: Tales And Legends is a good way to meet the Macarena. You reach the basilica on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, which makes you look at the details around you. A story like the clock legend suits a route of tales and legends well. One ticket covers the whole group.