The feast of The Fuensanta celebrates days where tradition and religiosity go hand in hand. The devotion to the co-patron saint of Cordoba, Nuestra Señora de la Fuensanta, is mixed with the curiosity of many to see a very particular piece hanging on the exterior porch of her sanctuary, surrounded by legend.
This is the Fuensanta caimanone of the most representative elements of this event, whose legend resonates more strongly today. There are several stories that explain how he arrived at the sanctuary as an alligator: from crazy stories to others based on bibliography.
One of the stories of the famous alligator tells that it appeared in a flood of the Guadalquivir, near near the sanctuarya location which was then on the outskirts of the city and was very prone to flooding if the river level rose higher than normal.
The beast frightened the people who lived in the orchards that surrounded this place because of its large size and its ease in devouring anyone who approached the sugar cane fields where it lived, so its surprising appearance was a hazard for the local residents.
It is here that this story acquires connotations of devotion and religiosity, and is that a former combatant suffering from lameness decided to entrust himself to the Virgin of Fuensanta to end this danger for the neighbors. He first dedicated a day to meticulously analyze the movements of the alligator, and a few days later he handed it over a trap. The brave veteran placed a juicy piece of meat in some bushes for the animal to feast on. As the alligator ate, the man jumped behind the vegetation to drive his crutch down its throat and, after an intense struggle, the animal is dead.
Once dissected, this person offered it to the Virgin and placed it on the wall of the sanctuary. In addition, the club he used is found as votive offeringthat is, as an offering to the owner.
This is the most popular story passed down from grandparents to grandchildren. However, even though the texts indicate that this flood occurred during the 16th centuryThe appearance of an alligator on Mediterranean lands makes this story illogical, since this species is only found in certain Caribbean waters.
The real legend
The story accepted as true is the one collected by Tedomiro Ramírez de Arellano in his book “Walks through Cordoba”. As he explains, the animal “was brought from America as well as a whale rib, a turtle shell or carapace, a saw of the fish of that name and some other objects sent as souvenirs by travelers from Cordoba,” the text states.
The reason for the arrival of these specimens at the sanctuary is simple. Travelers returning from the Americas offered the Virgin these souvenirs of their stay in the form of gratitude for accompanying them on their journey and guaranteeing them a great fortune. In addition, several objects were taken from people suffering from serious illnesses and were entrusted to La Fuensanta so that they could cure their ailments. On this occasion, the protagonist took a crutch from a disabled person.
Ramírez de Arellano also reported another story: “The common people said that he was killed in the nearby stream by a sentenced to deathto whom they offered their pardon if he would kill this animal which, swept from the sea, was the astonishment and terror of the inhabitants of Cordoba.
