One of Seville’s most famous religious icons, La Macarena, or more formally María Santísima de la Esperanza Macarena, a weeping image of the Virgin Mary, has been spruced up, as has happened over the years, but this time it’s drawing unhappy reactions from her devotees.
The statue, which was made around 1680, is kept in the Macarena Basilica, a church built for the purpose. Devotees are complaining that the statue has been “yassified,” or turned into something that is almost unrecognizable to them with excess make-up and unrealistic beauty features. In this case, there have been complaints that the statue now looks like a Kardashian.
Seville’s Governing Board of the Macarena Brotherhood has issued a statement apologizing to all its members and devotees for any “moral and devotional harm” that may have been caused by the restoration, which was meant to improve her image after years of damage caused by candle smoke.
The two versions, along with locals commenting can be seen in this video from Spanish television.
