The Sanctuary of A Saleta has its origins in the spread throughout Europe of the Marian apparition of La Salette, which took place in the French Alps in 1846. News of this event reached Francisco Mª de Rivas, who decided to promote devotion to Our Lady of La Salette in the parish of Siador. Thanks to this initiative, the sanctuary was founded in 1863, becoming the first sanctuary in Spain dedicated to this Marian devotion.
The devotion quickly became established and, as part of this momentum, a wooden sculpture of the Virgin was commissioned from the Compostela sculptor Magariños. The work was completed in 1864 and transported from Santiago de Compostela to Siador, carried on the shoulders of devotees and accompanied by a large crowd of faithful. This event marked the canonical approval and the official beginning of worship at the first Salettine sanctuary in Spain.
In 1984, the pastoral care of the sanctuary and the parish was entrusted to the Salettine Fathers, who arrived from their community in Valladolid. Two years later, in 1986, the Spiritual Centre and the House of Trades of the missionary community were inaugurated. Finally, in 2001, the Foundation of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Saleta was created with the aim of promoting the Salettine legacy and supporting the conservation and development of the sanctuary and its surroundings. Since then, the Sanctuary of A Saleta has become an important centre of spirituality in Galicia, where faith, tradition and landscape come together in a place of great significance for visitors and devotees.
