Punta Umbría to have a monument to the Virgen del Carmen facing the estuary

Punta Umbría will have a monument dedicated to its patron saint, the Virgen del Carmen, which will be located facing the estuary. The project, called «Punta Umbría a su Virgen del Carmen», will be carried out by the sculptor Martín Lagares and is promoted by the City Council, the incoming and outgoing elder brothers of the Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Carmen and the Cofradía de Pescadores Santo Cristo del Mar. The initiative was announced at a meeting held on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 21, at the Casa Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Carmen. The meeting was attended by the mayor, José Carlos Hernández Cansino, the councillor delegated for Festejos, Jimena Donoso, the president of the Hermandad, Salud Fernández Chavero, the elder sister, Daniela Fernández, the outgoing elder brother, Manuel González López, and the head fisherman of the Cofradía de Pescadores, Manuel Fernández Belmonte.

According to the City Council, the monument seeks to recognise the town's link with the sea and with fishing, and aims to be a sentimental and heritage landmark for residents. The municipal corporation recalls that the patron saint festivities were declared of Tourist Interest in 2018. The mayor has indicated that the initiative came from the outgoing elder brother, Manuel González López, and has stated that «it was only fair that Punta Umbría should have a monument dedicated to its Virgen del Carmen». Hernández Cansino has placed the devotion from 1908 and added that the monument will be «a symbol that will remain for future generations».

The Council has not specified the date for the placement of the sculpture or the exact point of the estuary where it will be installed, nor the cost of the work or the formula for financing it. It has also not been indicated whether there will be a public presentation event or an inauguration.