The Basilica of the Royal Marian Shrine of

Our Lady of Candelaria The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle ( es, Virgen de Candelaria or ''Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria''), popularly called ''La Morenita'', celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The cen ...

( es, Basílica y Real Santuario Mariano de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria or simply ''Basílica de la Candelaria'') is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

, the first Marian shrine of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

,Artículo periodístico de ''El Día''
. located in the municipality and city of Candelaria on the island of

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...

(

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 ...

). It is located some south of the island's capital,

Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife, commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz (), is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and capital of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz has a population of 206,593 (2013) within its admi ...

. The basilica is dedicated to the

Virgin of Candelaria The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle ( es, Virgen de Candelaria or ''Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria''), popularly called ''La Morenita'', celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The cent ...

(Patron of the Canary Islands).Virgen de Candelaria, Patrona de Canarias
. Designed by architect

José Enrique Marrero Regalado José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

, it is listed as a Site of cultural interest by the

Government of the Canary Islands A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

. The

is a

black Madonna 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. The Black Madonna can be found both ...

History

In 1390, Candelaria was a solitary place frequented by

guanches The Guanches were the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean some west of Africa. It is believed that they may have arrived on the archipelago some time in the first millennium BCE. The Guanches were the only nativ ...

herders of the

menceyato de Güímar The Guanches were the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean some west of Africa. It is believed that they may have arrived on the archipelago some time in the first millennium BCE. The Guanches were the only nativ ...

(pre-Hispanic kingdom). One evening, two natives leading their cattle, saw some goats refusing to come to the mouth of the ravine; they sent forward one of them thinking that there were people who wanted to steal them and they found, on a rock, the statue of the

(later declared principal patron of the Canary Islands). The statue was found in a beach near to Candelaria. It was initially taken to the

cave of Chinguaro Cave-Shrine of Chinguaro is a Roman Catholic church and cave located in Güímar on Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). It was the traditional palace of the Guanche King of the Menceyato de Güímar, Acaimo. In this cave, the ancient Guanches worshi ...

, which was the palace of the king (

mencey The Guanches were the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean some west of Africa. It is believed that they may have arrived on the archipelago some time in the first millennium BCE. The Guanches were the only native ...

) of

Güímar Güímar () is the name of a municipality, town and valley in the eastern part of the Spanish island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, and part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (province). The municipality extends for 102.9 square kilometers from ...

. Later the Guanches moved her to the

cave of Achbinico Cueva de Achbinico, also called cave of San Blas ( es, cueva de Achbinico) is a Roman Catholic church and cave located in Candelaria, Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain). After the conquest of the Canary Islands it was the first Christian sanctu ...

in Candelaria, and from then on it was venerated there. At first the Guanches identified it with their goddess

Chaxiraxi Chaxiraxi is a goddess, known as the Sun Mother, in the religion of the aboriginal Guanche inhabitants of the Canary Islands.Matilde Moreno Martínez: Relatos legendarios: historia y magia de España. Desde los orígenes a los siglos de oro. In: ...

(the mother of the gods), but later the Christian conquerors identified it as the statue of the

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 Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

. Shortly after, a chapel was built. This cave was also used as a cemetery for Christian devotees of the Virgin. In 1596, king Philip III was declared protector of the

. After ascending the throne, the Spanish monarch gave the title of "Royal" to the sanctuary of the Candelaria. Therefore, it is also the first sanctuary in the

to have received that title. Later, the present basilica was built over an old church that was destroyed by fire in 1789. However, the actual construction of the temple was postponed several times for various reasons: the

economic crisis An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the p ...

of 1931 following the proclamation of the Second Republic and later by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

. Finally, the bishop of Tenerife,

Domingo Pérez Cáceres Domingo Pérez Cáceres (November 10, 1892, Güímar, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) - August 1, 1961, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife) was a Spanish ecclesiastic, eighth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna ...

promoted the construction, commissioning the architect Jose Enrique Marrero Regalado. The new sanctuary would be a neo-Canarian eclectic mix of all styles that have occurred in the Canary Islands. Several donations came from all the islands, the basilica would take almost a decade to finish. Finally, on February 1, 1959, the basilica was consecrated in a large religious ceremony. Nowadays Candelaria is the main Catholic centre of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

in the Canary Islands and one of the main ones in Spain; the basilica receives more than 2.5 million visitors annually.Página sobre Candelaria del Cabildo de Tenerife
The Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria can host up to 5,000 people. Among the most significant figures who have visited the basilica include heads of state or government, as well as the most prominent figures of the Church, military, politics, sports, art, etc. Among them are the former kings of Spain,

Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

de Borbón and

Sofia of Greece Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and has ...

, who visited while still being princes, and later as kings, in 1977. The church holds the title and dignity of a

, bestowed upon it by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

on 24 January 2011. That title was officially celebrated on 2 February of that year, coinciding with the feast of

Candlemas Candlemas (also spelled Candlemass), also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentati ...

. Currently, this Marian shrine attracts not only pilgrims and devout Catholics, but also followers of other religions. Among the latter are some people from the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

community in Tenerife, who donated some robes for the Virgin's statue. Every year in May is celebrated in the

Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias The Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias (in English ''Square of the Saint Patron of the Canary Islands'') is a large square in Candelaria, Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). It is next to the Basilica of Candelaria, a meeting place of pilgrims and fest ...

, the ''Festival Intercultural India - Canarias'' (''Intercultural Festival India - Canary Islands''), which aims to present the Hindu customs through gastronomy and folklore.

Interior of the basilica

Another feature of the basilica are the

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

that are mostly found on the altar. These paintings usually represent angels and other canarian saints who were devotees of the

. On one side of the main altar is the

flag of the Vatican City The flag of Vatican City was adopted on 7 June 1929, the year Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy, creating a new independent state governed by the Holy See. The Vatican City flag is modeled on the 1808 yellow and white flag of the ...

, referring to the close relationship of the sanctuary with the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

because of its status as a

. Above the altar is the statue of the Virgin. *The

Camarín A camarín is a shrine or chapel set above and behind the altar in a church, but still visible from the body of the church. They are especially found in Spain and Portugal and throughout Latin America. George Kubler George Alexander Kubler (26 J ...

de la Virgen de Candelaria, a room just behind the altar, is the location of the wooden statue of the

. It is opened after

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

. *The Capilla del Sagrario is located next to the sacristy, features a mural depicting the

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...

of Jesus with his apostles, by

José Aguiar José Aguiar or José Aguiar García (born 1895 (Santa Clara, Cuba), died 1976 (Madrid)) was a painter and muralist from La Gomera. Aguiar was born in Cuba in 1895 but his family returned to Agulo, La Gomera a few months later in 1896 where he w ...

. Also found in the chapel windows with scenes from the apparition of the Virgin to the Guanches. *The Capilla del Cristo de la Reconciliación was blessed on April 19, 1996. It features an image of the crucified Christ made by artist Ricardo Rivera Martínez in 1936. The Chapel of the Holy Christ of Reconciliation is the penitential chapel of the basilica, dedicated to the confessions. This image of Jesus Christ is inspired by the

Shroud of Turin The Shroud of Turin ( it, Sindone di Torino), also known as the Holy Shroud ( it, Sacra Sindone, links=no or ), is a length of linen cloth bearing the negative image of a man. Some describe the image as depicting Jesus of Nazareth and bel ...

primarily by the position of the nails in his hands. *The Sala de las Velas next to the main entrance to the basilica. Takes its name from offerings of candles and flowers placed inside the faithful. Here is the painting of the Canonical Coronation of the Virgin of Candelaria. In the room there are phrases that tell the story of the Virgin and her temple.

Festivity and schedule

Every 14 and 15 August this basilica houses pilgrims who come to celebrate the

(Patron of the Canary Islands) the day of her festival. Stresses on August 14 the "

Romeria Christianity has a strong tradition of pilgrimages, both to sites relevant to the New Testament narrative (especially in the Holy Land) and to sites associated with later saints or miracles. History Christian pilgrimages were first made to s ...

" and the representation of the appearance of the Virgin. Day 15 is made the solemn Mass and procession subsequent presence of the Principal authorities, religious, political, civil and military de Canarias. Also, every February 2, pilgrims came to the basilica to celebrate the

Fiesta de la Candelaria Candlemas (also spelled Candlemass), also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentati ...

. Day 1 is celebrated by a torchlight procession around the basilica. Day 2 is performed again a Mass and procession presided by the Bishop of Tenerife and the highest authorities. The Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria is open every day of the year, the opening of the basilica and masses celebrated in it are the following:Nuevo horario de la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Patrona de Canarias
. *Basilica: **Closed Monday morning. **Monday afternoon, from 15:00 to 19:00 h. **From Tuesday to Sunday and holidays from 07:30 to 19:30 h. *Masses: **Monday at 18:00 h. **From Tuesday to Saturday at 08:00 and at 18:00 h. **Sundays and holy days at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00 and 18:00 h.

Gallery

File:Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Candelaria, Tenerife, España, 2012-12-12, DD 12.jpg, Front view File:Vistas de Candelaria, Tenerife, España, 2012-12-12, DD 05.jpg, View of Candelaria with the basilica in the foreground File:Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Candelaria, Tenerife, España, 2012-12-12, DD 09.jpg, Statues in the square of the basilica File:Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Candelaria, Tenerife, España, 2012-12-12, DD 03.jpg, Bell tower File:Candelaria BW 3.JPG, View of the dome from the interior File:Cristo de la Reconciliación - Basílica de Candelaria (Tenerife).jpg, Cristo de la Reconciliación File:Basiliek Candelaria (Tenerife).JPG, Basilica of Candelaria in festivity File:Basílica de la Candelaria.jpg, Facade of basilica

References

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External links