"La Al ..." a Provincia de La Altagracia Travel Page by marielexoteria

...Higüey, the biggest city of La Altagracia, becomes the center of the attention. Why you might wonder? Because it's the day of Virgen de la Altagracia and the best place to celebrate this is visiting her Basílica. The Basílica was built on top of a sanctuary on the 16th century and inaugurated the 21st of January 1971. The pope John Paul II (may he rest in peace) visited it in 1979.

There's a painting of the Virgen de la Altagracia that according to some was brought from Spain. Another story says that a girl asked her father, who was traveling to the city, to bring her a painting of the Virgin. Her father looked for it but no one knew of this Virgin and on his trip back home, he spent the night at a place where he commented what his daughter asked him over dinner. An old man took out a little piece of canvas, rolled, and he told him that this was what he was looking for and disappeared after giving this roll to this father.

People come across the country to celebrate the service at the Basílica, and there's been lots of cases of people who make a pilgrimage on foot from various far away places of the country.

If you visit the Basílica, please dress appropriately.

The patron saint of the Dominican people. Picture from aciprensa.com.