The Virgin of Almudena (Virgen de la Almudena) is a medieval statue of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary is regarded as a patroness of Madrid, Spain, under this title.
The Cathedral of Madrid is dedicated to the Virgin under this title, and the feast day, 9 November, is a major holiday in Madrid. [1] [2] There are replicas that are used in processions, as well as more recent versions of the statue at various places.
The original statue has been lost to history though. The present one dates to the 16th. [3] Art historians attribute the statue now in the cathedral to the Netherlandish sculptor, Diego Copín de Holanda, who worked in Spain, around 1500. Its name derives from the Arabic term Al-Mudayna (المدينة), "the citadel." [4]
Before the victory parade celebrating their performance in the 21-22 Champions League, Real Madrid presented the Champions League trophy before the statue in the cathedral. [5] [6]
There are various legends regarding the icon. The legend has it that the statue was brought from the Holy Land in the year 38 by James (Santiago), the apostle and brother of John, and like all relics, was deemed holy and considered to have supernatural properties. [3]
One story is that in 712, prior to the capture of the town by advancing Muslim forces, the inhabitants of the town sealed the image of the Virgin inside the walls surrounding the town for its own protection.In the 11th century, when Madrid was reconquered by King Alfonso VI of Castile, the Christian soldiers endeavored to find the statue. After days of prayer, the spot on the wall hiding the icon crumbled, revealing the statue. [4]
Another legend is that as Christian soldiers approached the town, they had a vision of Mary imploring them to allow her to lead them into the city. Again, the miraculous crumbling of the wall occurred, with the icon showing an entry route through the walls. [ citation needed ]
The term Black Madonna or Black Virgin tends to refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. Examples of the Black Madonna can be found both in Catholic and Orthodox countries.
The National Day of Spain is a national holiday held annually on 12 October. It is also traditionally and commonly referred to as the Día de la Hispanidad, commemorating Spanish legacy worldwide, especially in Hispanic America.
Our Lady of the Pillar is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the context of the traditional belief that Mary, while living in Jerusalem, supernaturally appeared to the Apostle James the Greater in AD 40 while he was preaching in what is now Spain. Those who adhere to this belief consider this appearance to be the only recorded instance of Mary exhibiting the mystical phenomenon of bilocation. Among Catholics, it is also considered the first Marian apparition, and unique because it happened while Mary was still living on Earth.
Our Lady of Suyapa, also known as the Virgin of Suyapa, is a title of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. An 18th-century cedar wood statue of the Virgin is perhaps Honduras' most popular religious image, and the focus of an extensive pilgrimage.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of the Almudena, commonly known as the Almudena Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in Madrid, Spain. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Madrid. Its construction began in 1883 and finished over a century later, when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is a Catholic church in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Pillar, praised as "Mother of the Hispanic Peoples" by Pope John Paul II. It is reputed to be the first-ever church dedicated to Mary.
Laguna de Duero is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2016 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 22 ,696 inhabitants.
Christianity has a strong tradition of pilgrimages, both to sites relevant to the New Testament narrative and to sites associated with later saints or miracles.
The Virgin of Los Remedios or Our Lady of Los Remedios is a title of the Virgin Mary developed by the Trinitarian Order, founded in the late 12th century. The devotion became tied to the Reconquista of Spain, then still at its height. In the following century it spread to other parts of Europe. When Spain began the exploration and conquest of the Americas, it was a favorite devotion of the Spanish conquistadores. It remains a popular devotion in Spain and Latin America.
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle (Tagalog: Mahal na Birhen ng Candelaria, popularly called La Morenita, celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. She is depicted as a Black Madonna. The "Royal Basilica Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria" is considered the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Canary Islands and she is the patroness saint of the Canary Islands. Her feast is celebrated on February 2 and August 15, the patronal feast of the Canary Islands.
Our Lady of Charity is a celebrated Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in many Catholic countries.
Our Lady of Bethlehem is a Flemish-style oil painting that arrived in Puerto Rico. Specialists in 15th-century art attribute the painting to the school of Brussels painter, Rogier van der Weyden, or to an anonymous disciple of his school.
The Basilica of the Royal Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria is a Roman Catholic minor basilica, the first Marian shrine of the Canary Islands, located in the municipality and city of Candelaria on the island of Tenerife. It is located some 20 km (12 mi) south of the island's capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Laguna or Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios is a Roman Catholic church in Tenerife, Spain. Begun in 1904 and completed in 1915, it is dedicated to the Virgin of Los Remedios. The cathedral is the mother church of the diocese, which includes the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is therefore where the episcopal seat of the bishop of this diocese, currently occupied by Bishop Bernardo Álvarez Afonso. This is one of the most important churches of the Canary Islands.
Our Lady of Europe is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness of Gibraltar and protectress of Europe. The entire European continent was consecrated under the protection of Our Lady of Europe in the early 14th century from the Shrine in Gibraltar where devotion continues to this day, over 700 years on.
Our Lady of Peñafrancia is an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A Marian image is permanently enshrined in the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga, Camarines Sur.
Our Lady of the Forsaken is a Catholic invocation of the Virgin Mary. She is the patroness of Valencia and one of seven patrons of the Autonomous communities of Spain. She appears with a lily in one hand and in the other, she carries the baby Jesus who bears the cross in his arms. Her posture is characterized by a slight forward tilt, and hence, she is known affectionately as the Geperudeta (hunchback) of València. Her image is housed in the 'Basilica de la Mare de Déu dels Desamparats'.
Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, also known as Our Lady of Antipolo and the Virgin of Antipolo, is a seventeenth-century Roman Catholic wooden image of the Blessed Virgin Mary as venerated in the Philippines. This Black Madonna is enshrined in Antipolo Cathedral in the Sierra Madre mountains east of Metro Manila.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary – La Naval de Manila is a venerated title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the same image in the Philippines. Pious believers believe that the Virgin's intercession under this title helped to defeat the invading forces of the Protestant Dutch Republic during the Battles of La Naval de Manila in 1646.
Our Lady of Solitude is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus and a special form of Marian devotion practised in Spanish-speaking countries to commemorate the solitude of Mary on Holy Saturday. Variant names include Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Maria Santisima, Nuestra Señora Dolorosisima de la Soledad, and Virgen de la Soledad.