in the chapel of the cathedral. Another relevant symbol of Hispanic heritage both in Spain and in Hispanic America is the cult of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which feast is celebrated in Extremadura on the Día de la Hispanidad, each October 12, since she holds the title of Queen of Hispanicity since 1928. The origin of this religious tradition is the Christian legend of the apparition of the Blessed Mother to a shepherd in the 14th century indicating the place to find a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary carved by Luke the Evangelist buried centuries ago by local clergymen to prevent any damage of it from the Moorish invaders. The Monastery later built on the site where the statue was found soon became the most important place of pilgrimage in Castile and fair rich. The Catholic Monarchs met in the Monastery with Columbus in June 1492, which resulted in the Monarchs' authorization of the exploration endeavor and the dispatch of the first Royal injunctions to organize the "voyage into the unknown." In 1493, Columbus went back to the Monastery to thank Our Lady of Guadalupe for his successful first voyage. On his second, he baptized a newly found Caribbean island as Guadalupe, in honor to the Spanish Virgin. This, together with the fact that many Spanish explorers came from Extremadura, and the utmost popularity of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Castile, are the reason behind the spread of the worship throughout America and her canonical coronation as Queen of Hispanicity. See also Public holidays in Spain Hispanidad Mestizo Spanish language Culture of Spain UN Spanish Language Day Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute Spain History of Spain Discovery of America Hispanic America Spanish Armed Forces National Hispanic Heritage Month Timeline of support for Indigenous Peoples' Day Indigenous Resistance Day Columbus Day Native American Day References External links Spanish site about El Día De La Hispanidad Public holidays in Spain Spain October observances Autumn events in Spain