Since 1918, the Monument of the Immaculate Conception has stood in Plaza del Triunfo near Seville Cathedral. Some people mistakenly believe this name refers to the virginal conception of Christ. Instead, after a papal bull issued by Pope Pius IX in 1854, the Catholic church confirmed Mary was born free of all original sin. The statues at her feet are some of the men who pursued this dogma. In Seville, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 is a public holiday and holy day of obligation. That is when this monument becomes the center of costumed celebrations, processions and bands.
