Unlike St. Elizabeth of Alexandria or St. Charles Borromeo, the patron saint of Madrid is a figure that cannot be associated with wealth or aristocracy. He is a peasant saint, of humble origin, linked to an austere life from his childhood until his death. He did not have the formal education of the time, although he did have knowledge of Christian values. That was enough for him to become the saint of the village that was then called Mayrit.
Thanks to the Codex of San Isidro, written in the 13th century, we know that he was able to multiply food to feed other laborers and even animals that had no food in winter. He also got his oxen to work for him while he prayed.
The saint prayed to in springtime
Oral tradition has ensured that hundreds of miracles of San Isidro Labrador are told from generation to generation. The best known is that of the spring: one summer afternoon (one of those that every Madrilenian knows), to quench the thirst of his master, the saint made a spring gush forth in the place where they were.
It is said that the patron saint, before being a farmer, was a dowser, and that he had a real ability to find water. That is why many of the faithful pray to him for rain in the spring.
The miracle of the well
Another of the most famous feats of the patron saint is the miracle of the well. It is said that one day, while San Isidro was working, his son -San Illán- fell into a well with a basket. The farmer and his wife, today venerated as Santa María de la Cabeza, found no means to rescue him, so they decided to pray to the Virgin of Almudena. Suddenly, the waters of the well rose, and the couple found their child floating, healthy and smiling, inside his basket.
The miracle well is still preserved in the San Isidro Museum, located on the site of the former home of the Vargas family, for whom (according to legend) the saint worked. The original well curbstone has been enhanced and is the focal point of a small austere room, where visitors can contemplate the exact spot where San Isidro saved his son.
How to visit the well?
You can visit the Pozo del Milagro from Tuesday to Sunday (including holidays), from 10:00 to 20:00 hours. All the rooms of the San Isidro Museum, including the well, are free of charge. The easiest way to get there is to take line 5 to La Latina.