in the Roman Catholic tradition of the Virgin Mary's apparition "in flesh and blood" in Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza's name under the Roman Empire) to Apostle Saint James the Greater in AD 40 where a temple was built by the river Ebro, the first in the world dedicated to the cult of Saint Mary. Pilgrimage to Zaragoza to venerate Our Lady of the Pillar started in the early 8th century. Together with Saint James in Compostela, the spirituality of Christians in the Iberian Peninsula has centered around Our Lady of the Pillar for centuries. On May 27, 1642, the city of Zaragoza designated Our Lady of the Pillar as a symbol of Hispanidad (Hispanicity), and the date became a feast in commemoration of the appearance of La Virgen del Pilar in the city. In 1730, Pope Clement XII allowed the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar to be celebrated all over the Spanish Empire from then on. On September 23, 1892, the queen regent of Spain, Maria Christina of Austria, promulgated a Royal Decree in San Sebastián, as proposed by the Prime Minister, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, declaring October 12, 1892, a national day in commemoration of the 4th centenary of the discovery of America. The preamble of that decree states the government had "considered appropriate to explore the position of all the American countries and Italy, as homeland of Columbus, to see if, by joint agreement, that commemoration could be vested with greater importance." The preamble continues pointing out that "most governments of America have already adhered to the idea in principle, like that of the United States as well as those of the Hispanic American republics, with few exceptions, maybe because of temporary circumstances, which shall probably not prevent an unanimous resolution, and, for its part, the Government of his S.M. the King of Italy has also welcomed the invitation in the most cordial and satisfactory way." It is further stressed the opportunity of "perpetuating" such a commemoration as a National Day of Spain. Hispanicity was celebrated again in Spain from 1935, when the first festival was held in Madrid. The day was known as Día de la Hispanidad ("Day of Hispanicity"), emphasizing Spain's connection to the international Hispanic community. Hispanicity linked to the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar as historical background and symbol of the National Day of Spain are well expressed in a 1939 letter