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The
El museo desconocido
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The statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
s known as Mariblanca are female figures of uncertain origin which may relate to the fertility goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...
es Venus or Fortuna.
The name, which is common in Spanish relates to a statue which was purchased in the year 1625 by a Florentine merchant Ludovico Turchi as a gift to crown the lost Fountain of Faith in Madrid.El museo desconocido
». ''
El PaĆs
''El PaĆs'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El PaĆs'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA.
It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El Pa ...
''. Spanish article viewed 21 October 2013.
It is now the only element that remains of this monumental fountain, which was located on the church of Good Faith, which formerly stood in the Puerta del Sol.
There are now a number of copies and similar statues also known as Mariblanca. The origin of which is uncertain, but may relate to a religious anxiety related to idolatry
Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the BahĆ”Ź¼Ć Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...
or pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pÄgÄnus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
representations of purity, fertility and grace other than those associated with the Virgin Mary.
Mariblanca also serves as a female Christian name
A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often assigned by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian name ...
.
See also
* Fountain de La Mariblanca * Fountain of the HarpiesReferences
Sculptures in Spain 17th-century sculptures {{Spain-stub