La Milagrosa: votive practices at Colon cemetery and in virtual space

Abstract

The paper examines the legends and votive practices that exist around one of the graves at the Colon cemetery in Havana, the capital of the Republic of Cuba. Amelia Goyri de Adot (nee Amelia Goyri de la Hoz) was buried in this cemetery in 1901. In 1909 on her grave a tombstone was erected, which became an object of religious veneration for both Cubans and visitors from other countries. Pilgrims perform a certain ritual near the monument and leave votive tablets with gratitude to Amelia, worshiped as a saint with the name of La Milagrosa. Nowadays, the legend that has developed around this burial is actively circulating on the Internet, transforming and acquiring new details. Virtual practices of worship are also appearing, markedly different from those performed in the cemetery.