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".
Patronages of Saint George Saint George is one of the Patron Saints of Locorotondo, Genoa, Milan, as well as the patron saint of Ferrara, Reggio Calabria and Cellatica in Brescia. Saint George is also the patron saint of San Giorgio La Molara, a small "commune" in southern Italy (20 km from Benevento). The historical bank that was the backbone of the Republic of Genoa, "Repubblica Marinara di Genova", was dedicated to St George, "Banco di San Giorgio". The power of the "Repubblica" passing from commerce to banking, Genoa lent money to all the European countries and sovereigns, so the power of the "Repubblica" was