Posada San Miguel. The Village

San Sebastián de Garabandal is located 5 km. to “Peñasagra”, mountain range (2.050 m. high), 30 km. to the coast and to San Vicente de la Barquera beach, and also 30 km. to Picos de Europa and inside a national hunting reserve; enven so the village is very old our stone houses are very good preserved.

Garabandal is a smal village with about 100 inhabitants, most of them old people, because after the 70`s, young people, gradually emigrate to the city or abroad, because the main activity was based on farming, and because of the location it was not worthwhile.

it was a farmer and sheperd´s village, with about 350 inhabitants (60`s), nowadays about 100 people lives here, most of them old people, but during the summer 200 people resides here.

it´s the higher village belonging to Rionansa (500 m.) city council, not many vehicles cross because the road end in our own village.

Garabandal is visited for thousand pilgrims (mary`s devotee, “marianos”), every year from 60`s, at that time, something happened here; virgin mary´s apparition to four girls from the village.

Let´s have a look at history. during the 60`s, the village attracted attention to press. from 1961 and until 1965, four schoolgirls (Conchita González, Mari Cruz González, Jacinta González y Mari Loli Mazón) declared as witness about the apparitions of Archangel Saint Michael and Virgin Mary. according to their version the Archangel Saint Michael prepared them to receive Virgin Mary`s apparition (2nd- july-1961). during about 2000 sessions, binding the crowd, the girls came over a one deep ecstasy and supposedly many paranormal phenomena were registered with cameras and filmings, in front of hundreds or thousands eyewithness (according to sources) who tried to remove the clairvoyants from the trance by means of pricks, burns or blows. some of them projected lights directly to their eyes but didn´t get any results, without batting an eyelid. the girls were capable to run behind back faster than the youth locals, they couldn`t reach them; they felt between stones from paths causing blow in their knees, sounding “eerie”, acording to the audience, but those girls never seem to feel pain.

The four girls received holy communion, according to their version, from the Archangel; you could see how they inclined up their heads, swallowing an invisible consacrated wafer and then making the sing of the cross over.

Once, a camera-man from Barcelona, recorded a snapshot where you could see a real consacrated wafer in the mouth o one of the girls, it happened just after transmiting to the archangel their wish of a physical prove fo the congregated crowd.

The well-known jesuit father Luis Andreu, went to the vilage with an sceptical attitude, during one of the apparitions he shouted; miracle!, miracle!. that night unexpectly he passed away after assuring seen the virgin.

Father Pio had an important connection with the miracle too and meet the girls.

“The denomination”, not recognized by Catholic Church, of this virgin in this serial of events is “Nuestra Señora del Monte Carmelo de Garabandal”, because of her appearance, clothes and type of hair, belongs to same name`s representation.

If you look left in this page, you will see some images surrounding (the altarpiece from church, the old path, called “calleja”, the acces to pines, the village).