On a hill in Quito called „El Panecillo" [1] there is a statue called "Virgen de Quito" or "La Virgen del Panecillo" [2]. The Virgin Mary is shown. It is one of the landmarks of the city of Quito. It was created by the Spanish (Basque) artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras [3] and it was inaugurated in 1976. The statue is 45 m high and it is made of aluminum.
The "La Virgen de la Apocalipsis" is a term that comes from Spanish and means "The Virgin of the Apocalypse". In the 16th century, a Spanish missionary named Fray Juan de Torquemada had a Marian apparition in Quito. This apparition was presented as the Virgin Mary in an apocalyptic context, hence the name "Virgen de la Apocalipsis". She is considered the patron saint of Quito and many believers seek her intercession in difficult times. A smaller statue of the Virgin, so to speak the original after which the statue on El Panecillo was created, is on display at the Museo San Francisco in Quito. It is the work of the Ecuadorian artist Bernardo de Legarda [4], a major 18th-century (Baroque) sculptor known for his detailed craftsmanship and religious symbolism, whose "Virgen del Apocalipsis" (1734) is arguably his best-known sculpture and often referred to as the masterpiece of his art. In general, a visit to the Museo San Francisco with its paintings and, as a special feature, the paintings on alabaster, is worthwhile. I'll save a special feature for another occasion.
The statue of „La Virgen del Panecillo“ depicts the Virgin Mary with wings. The wings are meant to emphasize her purity, her closeness to God, and her role as a heavenly protector. They either go back to a saying of St. Francis of Assisi: "Blessed are you, my Lord, through our sister, the air with which you gave wings to the birds." - or they go back to an event reported in the Legenda Major after which Francis had a vision of the Virgin Mary, in which she covered him with a cloak, which he compared with a wing protecting him from dangers and temptations [5]. The symbolism of the wooden sculpture is even richer, because it is painted in colors and the blue of the cloak stands for purity, justice, health, glory and others. The eagle's wings are associated with immortality, God's intervention in the world, and a royal sign of Solomon's throne.
It had been a good idea to see the old city from „El Panecillo“ and looking at the statue before entering the warren of narrow alleys and side streets guarded by two female police officers.
Links and Annotations:
[1] Just to give some useless information -: el panecillo means the bun.
[2] La Virgen del Panecillo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_El_Panecillo
[3] Agustín de la Herrán Matorras - https://esculturaurbana.com/podescultor/herran-matorras-agustin-de-la/
[4] Bernardo de Legarda (ca. 1700-1773) was one of the most important artists of the Quito School movement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_de_Legarda
[5] Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, OFM, better known as Francis of Assisi (Italian: Francesco d'Assisi, Latin: Franciscus Assisiensis; c. 1181-1226) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi
I could not see the official biography of Saint Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226) in a luxurious edition from the 14th century, because it costs around €3,000 - €7,000. https://www.ziereis-faksimiles.de/faksimiles/franz-von-assisi-legenda-maior
[6] For those, who seek more quick reference -: En su base de hormigón se encuentra una placa nombrada "La Mujer de la Apocalipsis (Cap 12)" escrita por el Padre Jesús Rigoberto Correa Vázquez la cual dice: "¿Quién es esta mujer, de sol vestida, reina, de doce estrellas coronada, portentosa señal, airosa, alada, que al firmamento se remonta erguida? ¿Quién es esta mujer engrandecida, que a sus plantas la luna ve postrada, mantiene a la serpiente encadenada y entre todas es la única escogida? Es María, la Virgen, la esperanza mostrada, en el edén, a cielo y tierra, en quien Dios se encarnó y entró en la historia. Es la Madre de Dios, flor de la alianza, la mujer fuerte que al infierno aterra, la esclava del Señor, la asunta a gloria". Translation: On its concrete base there is a plaque named "The Woman of the Apocalypse (Chap 12)" written by Father Jesús Rigoberto Correa Vázquez which says: "Who is this woman, dressed in the sun, queen, crowned with twelve stars, portentous sign, graceful, winged, that rises upright to the firmament? Who is this magnified woman, that sees the moon prostrate at her feet, keeps the serpent chained and among all is the only chosen one? It is Mary, the Virgin, the hope shown, in Eden, to heaven and earth, in whom God became incarnate and entered history. She is the Mother of God, flower of the alliance, the strong woman who terrifies hell, the slave of the Lord, the assumed to glory".
Wo else thought of „Los cuadernos de Don Rigoberto“ by Mario Vargas Llosa (Nobelprize winner Literature 2010)?
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