Heritage day.

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Today was Heritage day. In Mérida each school has to adopt a monument. We have adopted "The our Lady of Antigua chapel" which is near to our school.It is obviously how we got our name.

    Today we celebrated with  a medieval market

situated near the monument. The goal was to involve our   community  so that we all can learn to appreciate  the monuments left behind by our ancestors.

THE CHAPEL "NTRA. SRA. DE LA ANTIGUA".
     The Chapel "Ntra. Sra. de la Antigua" is one of the most famous building of the city. It has survived  many difficult situations.
    The emeritense historian, Moreno de vargas, wrote History of Mérida city in 1633, in which tells that the monastery Ntra. Sra. de la Antigua of the barefoot friars of Saint Francis Order was founded in 1576. Firstly, it was situated in The Santisima Trinidad Chapel, but as it had lack of water, later the monastery moved to the Sumptuous Antigua Chapel in 1578.
   

  The image of the Virgin was in the altar. People were very devoted to the Virgin and she was taken into procession, in which all the city took part. They asked for rain to the Virgin in order to avoid diseases and epidemics.
     The chapel was away from the city so the spiritual life was centred in religious services of the friars and some acts that took place in certain festivities.
     The chapel has always had problems with the floodings of the Albarregas river. In 1638, one of theses floodings brought down the walls of their gardens. This chapel had a large cloister convent, whose remains are still preserved. The convent became hermitage again when friars left it.
During years it was in private hands, then it was renovated in 2006 and it became a place of cultural events. Some years ago was ceded to the Catholic Church.
I     n 2011, The School " Ntra Sra de la Antigua"  adopted the Chapel of " Ntra.  Sra. de la Antigua".