Reserve a Full Day Tour of the Urkupiña Virgin Folkloric Parade here!
Legend has it that at the end of 1700, in the region of Cota Southwest Quillacollo, lived a peasant family. The small daughter of this family, a lively girl, was working to ensure the care of their sheep gracing by the Sapinku river where there was plenty water and grass.
One day, the little girl was surprised by the visit of a dazzling and beautiful lady, who with her small son in her arms started talking to her.
The little girl and the Madam met frequently in the same spot. They became than closed that the shepherd commonly played with the baby boy near to a spring gushing from the stones.
The parents of the shepherd were surprised by the long hours that their daughter was away from home, so they asked her what was happening. She told them about her meetings with the mysterious lady and her small child. The alarmed parents went to share this fact with the priest of the community and with their neighbors. The shepherd parents request her to tell them when the Lady will show again. That is how on August 15th the girl ran to her house and announced to her parents the new visit.
The news spread like wildfire and soon was a bunch of people showing with great enthusiasm to see what the girl pointed out ¡Orqhopina¡ ¡Orqhopina¡ Words in Quechua language that mean: Already on the mountain.
It was a tremendous the surprise for the villagers to see how slowly the mysterious Lady and the child stood by the heaven. Later in the same spot it appeared in a giant rock the image of the Virgin, afterward named Virgin of Urcupiña and it was in that same place where the locals built a temple in her honor.
