Our Lady of the Pillar ( es, Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is the name given to the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
in the context of the traditional belief that Mary, while living in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, supernaturally appeared to the Apostle
James the Greater
James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...
in
AD 40
AD 40 ( XL) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 793 '' Ab urbe condita' ...
while he was preaching in what is now
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. 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
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, it is also considered the first
Marian apparition
A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time.
In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian ap ...
, and unique because it happened while Mary was still living on Earth.
This title is also associated with a wooden image commemorating the apparition, which is now enshrined at the
Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
:''See Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Buenos Aires) for the church in Buenos Aires''
The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar ( es, Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Zaragoz ...
in
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
,
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Pope Callixtus III
Pope Callixtus III ( it, Callisto III, va, Calixt III, es, Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia ( va, Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his ...
granted
indulgence
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...
s for visitors to the shrine in 1456.
Pope Innocent XIII
Pope Innocent XIII ( la, Innocentius XIII; it, Innocenzo XIII; 13 May 1655 – 7 March 1724), born as Michelangelo dei Conti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 May 1721 to his death in March 1724. He is ...
in 1730 mandated her veneration throughout the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
. On 20 May 1905,
Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...
granted the image a
canonical coronation
A canonical coronation ( la, Coronatio Canonica) is a pious institutional act of the pope, duly expressed in a bull, in which the pope bestows the right to impose an ornamental crown, a diadem or an aureole to an image of Christ, Mary or Josep ...
.
Our Lady of the Pillar is considered the Patroness of
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
and its capital
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
,
Hispanic people
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties former ...
, the
Hispanic world
Hispanophone and Hispanic refers to anything relating to the Spanish language (the Hispanosphere).
In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The Hispanic culture is th ...
,
and of the
Spanish Civil Guard
The Civil Guard ( es, Guardia Civil, link=no; ) is the oldest law enforcement agency in Spain and is one of two national police forces. As a national gendarmerie force, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the a ...
. Her
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is 12 October, which coincides with
Columbus Day
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
...
, the
national holiday of Spain.
History
Early tradition
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
tradition holds that, in the early days of Christianity, the
Apostles of Jesus
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and ministry ...
spread the Gospel throughout the known world, with
James the Greater
James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...
evangelizing
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...
in
Roman Hispania
Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania ...
(modern-day
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
). He confronted great difficulties in his missionary efforts and faced severe discouragement. In
AD 40
AD 40 ( XL) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 793 '' Ab urbe condita' ...
, while he was praying by the banks of the
Ebro
, name_etymology =
, image = Zaragoza shel.JPG
, image_size =
, image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza
, map = SpainEbroBasin.png
, map_size =
, map_caption = The Ebro ...
at
Caesaraugusta
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
(Zaragoza), Mary
bilocated from
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, where she was living at the time, and appeared to James, accompanied by thousands of
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
s, to console and encourage him.
Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of Marian devotion in
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
is found in Christian tombs dating from Roman days, which appear to bear images representing the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic_Mariology#Dogmatic_teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and d ...
. In the 4th century, the presence of
votive images placed on columns or pillars is attested. The oldest written testimony of devotion to the Blessed Virgin in Zaragoza is usually identified as that of Pedro Librana in 1155.
[March, J.M. (1911)]
"Nuestra Señora Del Pilar" from ''New Advent: The Catholic Encyclopedia''
New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 26 February 2013. There is evidence that the site attracted pilgrims from across the Iberian Peninsula during the 13th century, e.g. reflected in the work ''Milagros de Nuestra Señora'' by
Gonzalo de Berceo
Gonzalo de Berceo (ca. 1197 – before 1264) was a Castilian Spanish poet born in the Riojan village of Berceo, close to the major Benedictine monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. He is celebrated for his poems on religious subjects, written ...
, dated to the 1250s or early 1260s. The appellation ''Santa María del Pilar'' is attested for 1299.
The claim that the first church had been the oldest in Hispania, built in AD 40 by
James the Greater
James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...
, is first recorded in 1318.
A book by Michael O'Neil (2015) called ''Exploring the Miraculous'' indicates that there are various traditions about earliest approvals by the church of this marian apparition. From his book:
"For example, one of the great pilgrimage sites in Spain, Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, originating in a miracle and housing an ancient jasper Marian image on a column, did not always recognize Our Lady under this title. According to the legend relating to the apostle St. James the Greater and his travels in Spain, on January 2 in the year 40, he was disheartened with his lack of success in proclaiming the gospel in Caesaraugusta (present-day Zaragoza) by the river Ebro, when he saw Mary (still alive at the time) miraculously appear on a pillar, comforting him and calling him to return to Jerusalem. The first written mention of the Virgin of Zaragoza comes from a bishop in the middle of the twelfth century, and Zaragoza’s co-cathedral’s name did not originally include a reference to El Pilar, being called Santa Maria Mayor. In 1296, Pope Boniface VIII conferred an indulgence on pilgrims visiting this shrine but still without mention of Our Lady of the Pillar. One of the legal councils of Zaragoza first wrote about Our Lady under this title in 1299, promising safety and privileges to pilgrims who came to visit the shrine. In 1456, Pope Calixtus III issued a bull encouraging pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Pillar and confirming the name and the miraculous origin. So, despite the lack of early extant texts about the miracle story and the name of this devotion, the enduring tradition delivers the story to us today." In other interpretations,
the tradition of the
Marian apparition
A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time.
In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian ap ...
can be traced to the 15th century: In either 1434 or 1435, a fire destroyed the alabaster altarpiece. The replacement altarpiece features bas-relief representations of the Marian apparition. The image of the Virgen del Pilar venerated today also dates to this period. It executed in the late Gothic style of
Juan de la Huerta.
Pope Calixtus III
Pope Callixtus III ( it, Callisto III, va, Calixt III, es, Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia ( va, Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his ...
in a bull issued on 23 September 1456 declares a seven-year
indulgence
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...
for those who visit Our Lady of Saragossa. The text of the bull specifically mentions a pillar, for the first time suggesting the existence of an image known as ''Our Lady of the Pillar''.
The feast day of 12 October was officially introduced by the Council of Zaragoza in 1640.
According to the account by
María de Ágreda (d. 1665) in her ''
Mystical City of God
''Mystical City of God'' is a book written in the 17th century by the Franciscan nun Venerable Mary of Jesus of Ágreda.
According to María de Ágreda, the book was to a considerable extent dictated to her by the Blessed Virgin Mary and regar ...
'', Mary, mother of Jesus, was transported from Jerusalem to Hispania during the night, on a cloud carried by angels. During the journey, the angels also built a pillar of marble, and a miniature image of Mary with the Child Jesus.
Approval
![Virgen_del_Pilar_(Goya)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Virgen_del_Pilar_%28Goya%29.jpg)
The
apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar was accepted as canonical by
Pope Innocent XIII
Pope Innocent XIII ( la, Innocentius XIII; it, Innocenzo XIII; 13 May 1655 – 7 March 1724), born as Michelangelo dei Conti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 May 1721 to his death in March 1724. He is ...
in 1723. So many contradictions had arisen concerning the miraculous origin of the church that Spain appealed to Innocent XIII to settle the controversy. After careful investigation, the twelve
cardinals
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
, in whose hands the affair rested, adopted the following account, which was approved by the
Sacred Congregation of Rites
The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by '' Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it had its functions reassigned by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 1969.
The Congregation was charged with the ...
on 7 August 1723, and later inserted in the lessons of the office of the feast of our Lady of the Pillar, celebrated on 12 October:
![Pilar_Santa_Capilla_12](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Pilar_Santa_Capilla_12.JPG)
James returned to Jerusalem with some of his disciples where he became a
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
, beheaded in AD 44 during the reign of
Herod Agrippa
Herod Agrippa (Roman name Marcus Julius Agrippa; born around 11–10 BC – in Caesarea), also known as Herod II or Agrippa I (), was a grandson of Herod the Great and King of Judea from AD 41 to 44. He was the father of Herod Agrippa II, the ...
. His disciples allegedly returned his body to Spain. The year AD 40 is the earliest recognised Marian apparition in the Catholic Church, dating to a time when Mary, the mother of Jesus, was still alive.
Pope Clement XII
Pope Clement XII ( la, Clemens XII; it, Clemente XII; 7 April 16526 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his death in February 1740.
Clement presided over the ...
allowed the celebration of the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar all over the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
in 1730. Since the feast day (12 October) coincides with the discovery of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
(12 October 1492), Mary was later named as Patroness of the Hispanic World under this title.
[(2011-10-12)]
"At the centre of Marian faith: Spain’s National Holiday and the Feast of the Virgin of Pilar"
Custodia Terræ Sanctæ. Retrieved on 25 February 2013.
Image
Zaragoza
![Basílica del Pilar - P8115832](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Bas%C3%ADlica_del_Pilar_-_P8115832.jpg)
A fire in 1434 burned down the church that preceded the present basilica.
The construction of the present
Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
:''See Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Buenos Aires) for the church in Buenos Aires''
The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar ( es, Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Zaragoza ...
, Zaragoza was started in 1681 and ended in 1711.
![Virgen del Pilar sin manto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Virgen_del_Pilar_sin_manto.JPG)
The wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is in the
Late Gothic style. It stands tall, on a pillar of
jasper
Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...
with a height of .
The statue depicts
Mary with the Child Jesus on her left arm, who has a
dove
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
sitting on his left palm.
Some reports state that an earlier wooden image was destroyed when the church burned down in 1434,
[John M. Samaha, ]
Our Lady of the Pillar
” ''All About Mary''. International Marian Research Institute, University of Dayton. consistent with an attribution of the current image to
Juan de la Huerta (d. 1462) or his school.
It appears that folk belief in some cases may be inclined to regard the Saragossa image as
miraculous, sculptured by the angels as they transported Mary from Jerusalem to Saragossa (Zaragoza); this mystical tradition goes back to
María de Ágreda (d. 1665), herself the object of frequent "mystical bilocation" (i.e. she reported that she was often "transported by the aid of the angels" ), who gave an account to this effect in her ''
Mystical City of God
''Mystical City of God'' is a book written in the 17th century by the Franciscan nun Venerable Mary of Jesus of Ágreda.
According to María de Ágreda, the book was to a considerable extent dictated to her by the Blessed Virgin Mary and regar ...
''; however, unlike the tradition of the Marian apparition itself, the miraculous origin of the image is not part of the tradition recognized by the Holy See as canonical.
Since the 16th century, the pillar is usually draped in a skirt-like cover called ''manto'' "mantle".
[
As a whole, it is protected by a bronze case and then another case of silver.][Javier Mendívil]
"The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Saragossa, Spain"
(pasapues.es). Retrieved on 25 February 2013.
The image was canonically crowned in 1905 during the reign of Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...
. The crown was designed by the Marquis of Griñi, valued at 450,000 pesetas (c. USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
2.6 million as of 2017).
Other depictions
''Our Lady of the Pillar'' is a common motif of the Madonna and Child
In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in ...
in Spanish art; extant examples other than the Saragossa image date from the Renaissance period onward. Depictions become especially numerous following the introduction of the feast day throughout the Spanish Empire in 1730.
File:Retablo de la capilla de la Virgen del Pilar, Catedral de Albarracín - 03.jpg, Statue of ''Our Lady of the Pillar'' by Cosme Damián Bas (c. 1570), part of the main altarpiece of Albarracín Cathedral
File:Ayerbe m.r. Virgen del Pilar.jpg, Baroque-era statue of ''Our Lady of the Pillar'', by "Esteban Pérez de Anies", dated 1642
File:Venida de la Virgen del Pilar (Ximenez de Maza).jpg, Painting of ''Our Lady of the Pillar'', by Francisco Jiménez Maza (1655)
File:Buenos Aires iglesia del Pilar imagen titular lou.jpg, Statue of ''Our Lady of the Pillar'', part of the main altarpiece of the Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
(1732)
File:Fort Pilar Shrine el Altar.JPG, The shrine of ''Our Lady of the Pillar'' in Fort Pilar
The Real Fuerte de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza (''Royal Fort of Our Lady of the Pillar of Saragossa''), also Fort Pilar, is a 17th-century military defense fortress built by the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), Spanish colonial g ...
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...
, Philippines (1734).
File:Virgen del Pilar, Hospital de Pobres y Peregrinos (Tuy).jpg, Sculpture of ''Our Lady of the Pillar'' (1752) above the entrance to the ''Hospital de Pobres y Peregrinos '' in Tui, Pontevedra
Tui (; Spanish: ''Tuy'') is a municipality in the province of Pontevedra in the autonomous community of Galicia, in Spain. It is situated in the ''comarca'' of O Baixo Miño. It is located on the right bank of the Miño River, facing the Portug ...
File:El apóstol Santiago y sus discípulos adorando a la Virgen del Pilar.jpg, St. James and his disciples adoring ''Our Lady of the Pillar'', painting by Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...
(c. 1775–1780).
File:Venida_de_la_Virgen_del_Pilar_(Pablo_Serrano).jpg, Zaragoza - the Pillar - Relief of the Virgin of Pablo Serrano.
Image:Monumento a Colón (Madrid) 03.jpg, Relief of ''Our Lady of the Pillar'' on the monument to Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
in Columbus Square (Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Spain), completed in 1885.
File:SAAM-1996.91.8 1.jpg, La Virgen del pilar (Late 18th century), Puerto Rico.
Feast day
The feast
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
of Our Lady of the Pillar is celebrated on 12 October and she is the Patroness of the Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
peoples and the Spanish Civil Guard
The Civil Guard ( es, Guardia Civil, link=no; ) is the oldest law enforcement agency in Spain and is one of two national police forces. As a national gendarmerie force, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the a ...
. A grand nine-day festival known as ''Fiestas del Pilar
The Fiestas del Pilar are an annual festival celebrated in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon, in honour of the patron saint of the city, the ''Our Lady of the Pillar, Virgen del Pilar'' (Our Lady of the Pillar).
The week long festival takes place e ...
'' is celebrated in Saragossa (Zaragoza) every year in her honour. The modern ''Fiestas del Pilar'', as they developed since the 19th century, begin on the weekend preceding 12 October and they end on the Sunday after 12 October (i.e. they move between 5–13 and 11–19 October). They were declared as a "national holiday of touristic interest" (''Fiesta de Interés Turístico Nacional'') by the '' Ministerio de Comercio y Turismo'' in 1980.
As 12 October coincides with the day of the year 1492 when land
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...
was first sighted on Columbus's First Voyage
Between 1492 and 1504, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus led four Spanish transatlantic maritime expeditions of discovery to the Americas. These voyages led to the widespread knowledge of the New World. This breakthrough inaugurated the per ...
,
the ''Fiesta de la Raza Española
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
...
'', first proposed in 1913 by Faustino Rodríguez-San Pedro y Díaz-Argüelles
Faustino Rodríguez-San Pedro y Díaz-Argüelles (1833, in Gijón – 1925) was Mayor of Madrid in 1890, and a deputy in the Spain, Spanish Cortes Generales, National Congress, and then a political minister in the governments of Francisco Silvela ...
to fall on the same date. In the United States, this was later called "Columbus Day
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
...
", as Columbus tends to be more associated with Italy and Italian-Americans, rather than the Spanish and Latin America in the U.S.
The ''Fiesta de la Raza Española'' was declared the national holiday of Spain in a decree by Antonio Maura
Antonio Maura Montaner (2 May 1853 – 13 December 1925) was Prime Minister of Spain on five separate occasions.
Early life
Maura was born in Palma, on the island of Mallorca, and studied law in Madrid. In 1878, Maura married Constanci ...
and king Alfonso XIII
of 1918. The alternative name ''Día de la Hispanidad'' was proposed in the late 1920s by Ramiro de Maeztu
Ramiro de Maeztu y Whitney (May 4, 1875 – October 29, 1936) was a prolific Spanish essayist, journalist and publicist. His early literary work adscribes him to the Generation of '98. Adept to Nietzschean and Social Darwinist ideas in his youth, ...
, based on a suggestion by Zacarías de Vizcarra.
After the Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, on 12 October 1939, the ''Día de la Raza'' was celebrated in Saragossa (Zaragoza), presided by Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
, with a special devotion to the ''Virgen del Pilar''. Chilean foreign vice-secretary Germán Vergara Donoso commented that the "profound significance of the celebration was the intimate inter-penetration of the homage to the Race and the devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar, i.e. the symbol of the ever more extensive union between America and Spain."
The name of ''Día de la Hispanidad'' was introduced as the official name of the national holiday in a decree of 9 January 1958.
During the transition to democracy
Democratization, or democratisation, is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be a hybrid regime in transition from an authoritarian regime to a full ...
, there was a proposal to shift the national day to 6 December, the day of adoption of the Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
, but in the end, in a decree of 1982, the day of 12 October was retained, under the name of ''Fiesta Nacional de España y Día de la Hispanidad''. In 1987, the name was reduced to just ''Día de la Fiesta Nacional de España''.
Veneration of Our Lady of the Pillar around the world
Pilar, short for Maria del Pilar, is a common Spanish given name, with name day
In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...
on the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar.
South America
* Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar and St. Raphael in Melo, Uruguay
Melo () is the capital city of the Cerro Largo Department of north-eastern Uruguay. As of the census of 2011, it is the ninth most populated city of the country.
Location
It is located at the center of the department, on the intersection of Rout ...
* Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Recoleta neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
* Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Pilar, Buenos Aires Province
Pilar is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina with a population of 299,077 as per the . It is part of the Greater Buenos Aires urban conurbation and is the seat of the administrative division of Pilar Partido. Since the early 1990s, Pi ...
, Argentina
* Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del-Rei
São João del-Rei, also spelled São João del Rey or São João del Rei, is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais. Founded in 1713 in homage to King John V of Portugal, the city is famed for its historic Portuguese colonial arch ...
, Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
Philippines
In the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, ruled by Spain for over three hundred years, Our Lady of the Pillar is honored as the patroness
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
of a number parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
es and municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
; seven are named ''Pilar'' in her honor. There are towns named Pilar in the provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
of Abra, Bataan
Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...
, Bohol
Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 m ...
, Capiz
Capiz, officially the Province of Capiz ( Capiznon/ Hiligaynon: ''Kapuoran sang Capiz''; tl, Lalawigan ng Capiz), is a province in the Philippines located in the central section of Western Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Roxas. It is ...
, Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
, Surigao del Norte
Surigao del Norte ( Surigaonon: ''Probinsya nan Surigao del Norte''; ceb, Amihanang Surigao; Tagalog: ''Hilagang Surigao''), officially the Province of Surigao del Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Caraga region of Mindanao. ...
and Sorsogon
Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon (Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray language, Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sorsogon), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines locat ...
. As in Spain, her feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is celebrated every 12 October.
* In Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...
, the Virgin of the Pillar has been venerated for almost four centuries as the patroness of the city and in the Archdiocese of Zamboanga
The Archdiocese of Zamboanga (Latin name: ''Archdiocesis Zamboangensis'') is a Catholic archdiocese in the Philippines. Its present jurisdiction includes Zamboanga City, with suffragans in Basilan ( Territorial Prelature of Isabela) and Zamboang ...
. The bas relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
of her atop the eastern gate of the 17th-century Spanish military fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
dedicated to the Virgin, Fort Pilar
The Real Fuerte de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza (''Royal Fort of Our Lady of the Pillar of Saragossa''), also Fort Pilar, is a 17th-century military defense fortress built by the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), Spanish colonial g ...
(Full name: Royal Fort of our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza, ''El Fuerte Real de Nuestra Señora Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza''), is now a Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Marian
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queenslan ...
shrine. The city also has a street named after her – Pilar Street.
* In Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
, a shrine in honor of ''Nuestra Señora del Pilar'' in Magsaysay Park was built through the collaborative efforts of Circulo Zamboangueño de Davao, a local group of transposed from Zamboanga City.
* ''Our Lady of the Pillar'' is also the patroness of Santa Cruz parish church in the district of the same name, in the city of Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. The Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
brought the patroness when they administered the church during the Spanish era. Her feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is also celebrated every 12 October in the district. However, the church has its Marian procession in the 3rd week of October. The image was canonically crowned on 7 December 2017.
* ''Our Lady of the Pillar'' is the patroness of Imus
Imus, officially the City of Imus ( fil, Lungsod ng Imus), is a 3rd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines ...
, Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
and the Diocese of Imus
The Diocese of Imus ( la, Dioecesis Imusensis; Tagalog: ''Diyosesis ng Imus''; Spanish and Chavacano: ''Diócesis de Imus'') is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Philippines that comprises the entire province of Cavite. The diocese was canonicall ...
enshrined at the Imus Cathedral
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of the Our Lady of the Pillar - Imus Cathedral, commonly known as the Imus Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral church in the city of Imus, in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The city, which is the capital ...
in Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
. The city celebrates its fiesta every October with the ''Karakol'', a ritual dance-procession performed in fiestas around the province of Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
. The image was canonically crowned on 3 December 2012.
* Our Lady of the Pillar is also the patroness, with 12 October as the feast day, in the following places:
**City of Cauayan, Isabela
Cauayan, officially the City of Cauayan ( ilo, Siudad ti Cauayan; ibg, Siudad nat Cauayan; fil, Lungsod ng Cauayan), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...
.
**Town of Morong, Bataan
Morong, officially the Municipality of Morong ( tl, Bayan ng Morong), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,394 people.
The municipality is home to the Subic ...
.
**Don Rufino Alonzo Sr. Street Cotabato City
Cotabato City, officially the City of Cotabato ( Maguindanaon: ''Kuta nu Kutawatu'', Jawi:
كوتا نو كوتاواتو; Iranun: ''Bandar a Kotawato'', بندر ا كوتاواتو; fil, Lungsod ng Cotabato), is a third class independent co ...
Maguindanao.
**Town of Baleno, Masbate.
**Town of Pilar, Bataan
Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar ( tl, Bayan ng Pilar), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,239 people.
The Bataan Government Center and the histo ...
.
**Town of Pilar, Bohol
Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar ( ceb, Munisipyo sa Pilar; tgl, Bayan ng Pilar), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 28,693 people.
The town of Pi ...
.
**Town of Pilar, Capiz
Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar ( Capiznon/ Hiligaynon: ''Banwa sang Pilar''; tl, Bayan ng Pilar), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Capiz, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 47,100 people ...
**Town of Pilar, Sorsogon
Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 75,793 people.
Pilar's economy is mainly agricultural. Despite efforts on mul ...
.
**Town of San Simon, Pampanga
San Simon, officially the Municipality of San Simon ( pam, Balen ning San Simon; tl, Bayan ng San Simon), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 59,182 people.
...
.
**Town of Sibonga, Cebu
Sibonga, officially the Municipality of Sibonga ( ceb, Lungsod sa Sibonga; tgl, Bayan ng Sibonga), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,424 people.
Sibonga is ...
.
** Town of Alaminos, Laguna.
**Town of Mamburao
Mamburao (), officially the Municipality of Mamburao ( tgl, Bayan ng Mamburao), is a 2nd class municipality and capital of the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 47,705 people.
H ...
, Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro ( tl, Kanlurang Mindoro), officially the Province of Occidental Mindoro, is a province in the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. The province occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro. Its capital is Mambura ...
.
**Town & Diocese of Libmanan
Libmanan, officially the Municipality of Libmanan ( bcl, Banwaan kan Libmanan; tl, Bayan ng Libmanan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 112,994 people. ...
, Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur ( bcl, Habagatan na Camarines; tl, Timog Camarines), officially the Province of Camarines Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and ...
** Brgy. Kalubkob, Silang, Cavite
Silang, officially the Municipality of Silang ( tgl, Bayan ng Silang), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 295,644 people.
Silang is located in the eastern ...
** Brgy. Guinsay, Danao City, Cebu
Danao, officially the City of Danao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Danao; fil, Lungsod ng Danao), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 156,321 people.
Danao is within the ...
** Brgy. New Guinlo, Taytay, Palawan
Taytay, officially the Municipality of Taytay ( tgl, Bayan ng Taytay ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 83,357 people.
Since 2002, its Cathedral of St ...
** Brgy. Del Pilar, Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija
Zaragoza, officially the Municipality of Zaragoza ( tl, Bayan ng Zaragoza), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,090 people.
The municipality derived its ...
** Brgy. Lumbangan, Nasugbu, Batangas
Nasugbu, officially the Municipality of Nasugbu ( tgl, Bayan ng Nasugbu), is a 1st class municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...
** Brgy. Indangan, Makilala, Cotabato
Makilala, officially the Municipality of Makilala ( hil, Banwa sang Makilala; ceb, Lungsod sa Makilala; tl, Bayan ng Makilala), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...
** Brgy. Maao, Bago, Negros Occidental
Bago, officially the City of Bago ( hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bago; fil, Lungsod ng Bago), is a 2nd class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 191,210 people.
Loc ...
References
* De Plancy, J. Collin (1852), "Legends of the Blessed Virgin", London
261–267
*Lasagabáster Arratíbel, Daniel (1999), ''Historia de la Santa Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Pilar'', Zaragoza (Reyes de Aragón, 5), .
*Nogués y Secall, Mariano (1862). '' Historia crítica y apologética de la Virgen nuestra señora del Pilar de Zaragoza y de su templo y tabernáculo desde el siglo I hasta nuestros días'', Madrid, Alejandro Gómez Fuentenebro.
*O'Neill, Michael ''Exploring the Miraculous'' (2015) Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Huntington, Indiana 46750, (Inventory No. T1585)
External links
Archdiocese of Zaragoza Official Website (in Spanish)
International Marian Research Institute
at the University of Dayton. The institute, a leading center for research and scholarship on the Blessed Virgin Mary, has a vast presence in cyberspace.
Marian Library
at the University of Dayton. The Marian Library is the world's largest repository of books, periodicals, artwork, and artifacts on Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
{{Virgin Mary
Our Lady of the Pillar
Pillar
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
Pillar
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
Pillar
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
History of Catholicism in Spain
Catholic holy days
Statues of the Madonna and Child
Marian devotions