Marina

Marina of Aguas Santas (also Marina of Ourense) (c.120–135 AD) was a Christian virgin martyr from Aguas Santas, in the province of Ourense. The story of her life as it has been preserved is a mixture of fact and legends.

Legend

The traditional account of the life of Santa Marina points to the town of Xinzo de Limia as the place of her birth. At that time, the region of La Limia was a highly Romanized town (Forum Limicorum), through which the Vía Nova, which linked the towns of Bracara (Braga, Portugal) and Asturica (Astorga), passed.

Her father, called Theudio or Teódulo, was a person of some importance; her mother, whose name is unknown, died in childbirth. Following the recommendations of the doctors, her father sought someone to be his daughter's nurse. He chose a woman named "Aya" from a farm in Pinnitus. The community was attended by the priest Teotimo. Educated by her nurse, within that community, she chose the Christian life and received baptism in the new faith, which causes an estrangement from her father Theudio, and his Roman views.

She lived the ordinary life of a rural household, dedicated to farming and grazing. One day when she was about fifteen years old, while she was minding the cattle, in a place near the road, the young Roman prefect Olibrio saw her by chance and was attracted to the beautiful stranger. He wished to make her a wife, concubine or slave, depending on her social status. Marina repeatedly refused his overtures and he decided to accuse her of being a Christian. She was imprisoned and subjected to various tortures. after consulting a manuscript by the friar Egidio de Zamora (13th century), who testified that the story of this saint was copied from a writing by the holy priest Teotimus, who is also cited by the Palencia breviary.

Patronage Marina of Aguas Santas is the patroness saint of Ourense. The Church of Santa Marina de Aguas Santas is located in the town of the same name, about 15 km from Ourense, not far from Allariz. It is believed that her relics lie there.

She is celebrated in Córdoba at the Parish of Santa Marina de Aguas Santas. A church is dedicated to her in Fernán Núñez.

She is also the patroness saint of the Portuguese parish of Santa Marinha e São Pedro da Afurada in Vila Nova de Gaia.

In Spain she is celebrated in Aracaldo (Vizcaya), Escurial de la Sierra, El Collado, Villarcayo de Merindad de Castilla la Vieja, Villandiego, Castrillejo de la Olma, Magán, Fontihoyuelo, Cigales, Izagre, Rabé de las Calzadas, Valverde de Mérida (Badajoz), and Buelna (Llanes-Asturias).

In Galicia, there are many parishes that venerate her, such as Carracedo, in the municipality of Caldas de Reyes; she is also the patroness saint of the municipalities of Rubiá, Teo, Ginzo de Limia, Cambados, Las Nieves and Maroñas.

In Asturias, she is the patroness saint of the village of Andeyes and in Aragon in the chapel of Santa Marina in Estopiñán del Castillo. In the city of Seville, on San Luis street, is the Church of Santa Marina, built in the thirteenth century in Gothic-Mudejar style.