Valle de Las Mercedes Unveils Painting of Historic Miracle

Last Saturday, November 1st, the community of Valle de Las Mercedes gathered in their parish church for a special event. A new painting was unveiled and blessed, depicting a miracle performed by the Virgin of Las Mercedes. This miracle was first recorded by historian Juan Núñez de la Peña in his 17th-century work, Conquest and Antiquities of the Canary Islands.

In Volume III of his book, Núñez de la Peña recounts the event: "When I was eight years old, my parents took me to the feast of the Virgin of Las Mercedes. While High Mass was being celebrated, I went out to play in the field. I ventured down to a ravine and placed a piece of cane in the water, letting it float like a boat. I followed it until it stopped in a deep pool. As I reached for it, my foot slipped, and I fell in, certain I would drown. Just then, two young men from the valley, passing nearby, heard my splash. Seeing only my hat floating, they quickly climbed down the slope and waited for me to surface so they could pull me out."

He continued, "It was our Lord, through the Virgin of Las Mercedes, who guided these two young men to spot a sleeve of my jacket on the water. They pulled it, bringing me out happy and laughing, as if nothing had happened."

Núñez de la Peña also wrote that he continued to receive many blessings from the Virgin throughout his life and hoped to receive them in the afterlife. He urged readers to show great devotion to her image, promising that their prayers would be answered.

After this miracle became widely known, people from all social classes began visiting the Virgin of Las Mercedes, seeking help, refuge, and protection. Among them were the Captain General of the Canary Islands, who donated four silver candelabras in gratitude, and Licentiate Antonio de Salinas, a judge and inspector, who ordered the construction of a hermitage in her honor, measuring 18 by 5.70 meters.

From that time on, the area previously known as Huertas del Obispo (Bishop's Orchards) was renamed Valle de Las Mercedes (Valley of Las Mercedes), in honor of the miraculous image worshipped there.

Now, three and a half centuries later, this historic miracle has been brought to life in a new painting. Created with oil and acrylic on canvas, it measures 135 x 110 centimeters. The artist is Davide Battaglia, a young Italian painter who has lived in La Laguna for nine years, where he runs his studio and a drawing and painting school.

Battaglia's artistic vision shows the Virgin wrapped in a luminous cloak of golden and ocher hues. She dominates the composition, appearing as a central source of light, creating the impression of a miraculous apparition.

The painting also features the child (Juan Núñez de la Peña) emerging from the water, helped by two other children. These two are dressed in Mercedarian-style cloaks and hats, and were modeled by local residents Guillermo, Claudio, and Andrés. The scene is set against the sparkling water, green landscape, blue sky, and soft light from moving clouds, creating a vibrant contrast.

The Brotherhood of Our Lady of Las Mercedes funded this painting. It has been placed to the right of the altar in the church, which was built in 1971. This spot preserves the original sanctuary from the hermitage built in 1662, which was created in thanks for the miracle, and where the altarpiece with the Virgin of Las Mercedes' image stands.