Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1919 — CITY OF STONES AND SAINTS [ARTICLE]

CITY OF STONES AND SAINTS

Old Spanish Stronghold of Avila Has Long Been Known by That Peculiar Cognomen. Avila is an ancient Spanish stronghold now known as the city of stones and saints. The stones are prominent enough in the high wall, broken by circular towers, which surrounds the city and in the past kept out undesirable visitors. Some people say, however, that the term stones refers to the stone pigs which decorate the city in unexpected places. No spot is too sacred for these roughly carved pigs, which fact recalls the tradition that when - paganism ruled in Avila these grotesque animals were themselves objects of veneration. But today they provoke only jests in spite of their'attitudes of haughty aloofness. The saint part of the stones and saints epithet is adequately represented by Santa Teresa, the most beloved saint of Spain, who spent most of-her life In Avllg,. Santa Teresa started her career of saintliness seven years of age, when she tried to get herself martyred by the Moors outside the city walls. 3he was deterred from achieving this at the critical moment by her relatives. Later, tradition states, she was transported to heaven and given Instructions on building and running a convent, after which she returned to earth and spent the regt of her life carrying out the celestial orders, and thereby winning the love of the people.