[5] It was designed by the Spanish-Venezuelan sculptor Manuel de la Fuente [es] and opened on 21 December 1983 by President Luis Herrera Campins.

[7] The monument stands at about 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level,[8] in the region named Peña de la Virgen — where it is said that the virgin appeared in the year 1570.

From the monument there are spectacular panoramic views of the region:[9] on a clear day, one can see all of the state of Trujillo, parts of the Sierra Nevada de Mérida, and the south coast of Lake Maracaibo.

Despite its colossal size and the importance of its commemorative symbolism of the patron saint of the state, the monument is one of the least visited tourist spots in Trujillo and in Venezuela.

On the hill called Peña de la Virgen, according to legend from the late 1550s, the image of the Virgin Mary appeared to several residents of the town of Carmona.

As they followed her, the locals saw her hide behind a rock that began to spark, discovering that she was not a mortal young woman but that she was the Virgin Mary.

[9] The statue shows the Virgin Mary in a blue robe, and its construction had lasted 18 months,[21] carried out by the sculptor Manuel de la Fuente and the engineer Rosendo Camargo, with support of Juan Francisco Hernández.

[9] In the speech that the Trujillan writer Mario Briceño Perozo gave during the dedication of the monument, when referring to the tradition of going up to the Peña de la Virgen, he said:[22]

During the festivities, the monument is treated as one of the most religious places in the state, with masses and processions, as well as gastronomic, cultural and recreational fairs at the site; these often extend to La Plazuela and Isnotú.

[24] Dozens of parishioners also gather at the Peña de la Virgen each year for Easter, praying in the attached church.

[25] The "Peace March", which takes place every year during Easter, starts early in the morning from the headquarters of the Catholic Seminary in the city of Trujillo and ends with a mass in the monument's chapel.

From here, more distant sights can be seen, including La Ceiba, the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo, the ridges of the Sierra Nevada de Mérida, various plains and much of the land from Trujillo to the state of Lara.