Patronages of the Immaculate Conception the Immaculate Conception is also one of the nine national and public holidays and a holy day of obligation. The patronage settles the dispute between a heated religious debate during the mid 1600s, when followers of the mythical figure Saint James Matamoros wished to impose him as the national patron saint versus the followers of Saint Teresa of Avila. On 11 September 1759, the elected members of the Spanish Cortes petitioned King Charles III of Spain to request from the pope the "universal patronage of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in all the Kingdoms of Spain and the Indies".
The Martyrdom of Saint Philip work by Ribera. It is less caravagesque than his previous works, showing the influence of Guido Guido Reni and Domenichino. "The Martyrdom of Saint Philip " was likely commissioned by the II Duke of Medina de las Torres as a gift to King Philip IV of Spain; Philip the Apostle was his patron saint. For a long time, the painting was part of the royal collection. It survived the fire in de Royal Alcázar in 1734 was subsequently installed in the Buen Retiro Palace and the Royal Palace of Madrid. Sometime after 1818 the painting was moved to the Prado.