Las Lajas Sanctuary is an architectural marvel, not only because of its beautiful Gothic Revivalist style, but because of the fact that it was built in a precarious gorge…and on the side of a mountain… over 100 years ago. Such a feat would be difficult to accomplish now, let alone a century ago. But it was accomplished, marvellously so; and we’re all the luckier for it.
The story goes that in 1754, a woman and her deaf and mute child were caught in a raging storm. The pair decided to seek shelter from the weather in the gorge, upon which they felt a force calling out to them; and so appeared the Virgin Mary on the rocks above and the daughter was instantly cured of her deafness and spoke her first words.