The Guadalupe de Cáceres (Extremadura), whose origin sets the legend to the sixth century, was found on the banks of the Guadalupe River (hidden river in Arabic) in the Sierra de Villuercas, back in 1326 after the expulsion of the Moors of that area. 

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The Spanish image of "Guadalupe" is an ancient cedar wood carving and polychrome Romanesque sculpture lined by beautiful rich brocade robes that give a triangular shape to the taste of the time.

Its appearance is very different canvas Tepeyac, not only for its Iberian-Byzantine features, but also because it leads to the Child Jesus in her left arm, a royal scepter in his right hand and a golden crown on his head.

The Spanish image of "Guadalupe" is an ancient cedar wood carving and polychrome Romanesque sculpture lined by beautiful rich brocade robes that give a triangular shape to the taste of the time. Its appearance is very different canvas Tepeyac, not only for its Iberian-Byzantine features, but also because it leads to the Child Jesus in her left arm, a royal scepter in his right hand and a golden crown on his head.

Measure the size of Our Lady, 59 cm high and weighs 3,975 grams. It belongs to the group of Black Madonnas of Western Europe in the twelfth century.

 

THE ORIGIN OF THE PICTURE

The certainly known in the sixteenth century legend claims trace its origins to the evangelist Luke. Before dying Mary, would have carved multiple copies taking it as a model. Such devotion took one of them, who wanted to be buried with him in his tomb of Achaia (Asia Minor).

When the mid-fourth century the remains of this evangelist was found, also appeared the image of the Lady. They were transferred to Byzantium.

Soon the icon of Mary enjoyed great devotion to his intercession for a miracle operated by reason of an earthquake that struck the city in the year 446 was due.

A century later found in Byzantium Cardinal Gregory, sent by Pope Pelagius II as apostolic nuncio to the emperor, and San Leandro, archbishop of Seville, who had come to the capital of the Empire of San Hermenegildo their king for help against the Moors. Gregorio and Leandro were joined by deep friendship. Ran the year 581.

582 - - he loved greatly Gregorio While in Byzantine Emperor Tiberius II, succeeded Maurice died. That being summoned to Rome by the pope, the emperor gave inter alia the miraculous image, the head of San Lucas and San Andrés arm.

High Gregorio to the papacy in 590, took devout image in his private chapel, and pulling in a procession on the occasion of a cruel pestilence that ravaged the eternal city saw the Romans in amazement how plague were soothed by appearing an angel over the people, at the height of a castle - since called Sant Angelo - wiping blood from a sword, while a chorus of heavenly spirits sang the "Regina Coeli Laetare, alleluia", to which the Pope, moved, added "Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia."

Pope Gregory sent the miraculous image to your friend San Leandro, on the occasion of being in the Eternal City San Isidoro his brother. Going on the ship of those who had this gift sent to San Gregorio San Leandro, there was a great storm at sea. One of the clerics moved in faith and devotion that takes the image of Our Lady Saint Mary and suplicáronle with great humility and devotion of so great a danger the wanted fight. After calming a storm at sea, the Virgin came to the port of Seville, where San Leandro received with all the people.

The holy archbishop placed in the main church, and received fervent worship here until the Muslim invasion. To free it from desecration, Seville was taken by some pious clerics with other relics, and hidden by the river in the Sierra de Guadalupe Villuercas, remaining buried until its discovery.

 

THE DISCOVERY

It happened, according to the fact a simple rhymed legend mediated beyond the thirteenth century. We are in a rural region, the heart of Extremadura, in the folds of the mountains of the neighboring peak Villuercas, in the village of Alia Toledo. A shepherd named Gil Cordero, recounting the cattle at the time of closure, missed a cow. She left for her. Internóse by those mountains, feral oak, good for hunting bears in summer to say the book of La Monteria, until a stream of Arabic name, Guadalupejo (Hidden River). Remontóle. To the right, deviating from its course and probably following the remains of a Roman road found after after three days, the cow, dead but intact, respected by the beasts. He pulled a knife sheath mount and proceeded to flay. It began, as usual, making two incisions in the chest in a cross. And then ...

The pastor saw the Lady. Ms. Santa Maria said: 'Go and inform the clergy of Cáceres in the place where your cow there lies buried a glorious image of me. I want to be dug, he erected a shrine and worship because you pay taxes, because through it I pour mercies. Come people of all lands and do countless miracles. To be given to all who come to visit me free food and lodging. I will built a village.

 

 

Missing inmate vision and the consequent excitement, stared with astonishment that the pastor cow, resurrected, grazed quietly in the shade of an oak, retaining between the forelegs a scar shaped cross.

He left for Caceres and when I got home he found his wife in floods of tears because her son had just died. The after comfort, invited her faith to trust the Lady Saint Mary of Guadalupe, which had appeared to him, and begged him to rise to his son he had promised as a perpetual servant of his house. "At that time the boy alive and well got up, and said to his father, Father Lord, and we aguisad to Santa María de Guadalupe".

He went to the city. This managed to persuade the clergy, who headed in a number instead of the prodigies. Ecclesial authorities found the entrance to an underground cave and also the image documents. Despite having been buried for 600 years, the image of oriental wood was examined and it was found that he was in perfect condition

 

MONASTERY

An old Guadalupean chronicler, Fray Diego de Ecija, a monk at the monastery between 1467 and 1534, he wrote a manuscript that was published in 1953 in Cáceres. Ecij 

to collect the oral tradition of the older monks on the steps of creation and development of the monastery:

"And this church seems to have been built three times: the first was the hut or hermitage, that was when the image was found by the clerics of Cáceres . "

The first custodian of the sanctuary was Pedro García "holder Eglesia and Hospital Sancta Maria de Guadalupe", dying around 1330, and received gifts and demands, to enlarge the chapel or primitive hut in which they stayed in. after finding by the pastor.

Fray Diego Continuing: " The second, which was then a small church that was and, as King says in his letter, fall means that they should do more shoots. "

Alfonso XI, in his first visit to Guadalupe, 1330, command widen the early church gave more economic benefits and ordered to build around hospitals or shelters for pilgrims.

By 1336 the church was converted into spacious temple of Toledo Mudejar style. The sanctuary was attached to the parish of Alia, in the archbishopric of Toledo.

And continues our friar: " The third was that the king sent to ask the Cardinal when he came to visit this church, as he says in his privilege, and Toribio, who was rather the cardinal, the carved sumptuously, as it is said and magnified for people that would fit her coming, which remains now. "

Alfonso XI ordered the terms of the note so that Guadalupe shrine was completely emancipated from Talavera.

Toribio Fernández, first as a prosecutor and then as a second cardinal secular prior, was responsible for this new extension of the sanctuary between 1341 and 1367

The church was enlarged in adjacent parts with new buildings, printing the whole an air of strength and leaving unchanged the perimeter of the temple built until 1336, which is the site of the present church.

And Ecija ended: "And after it was given to the brothers of our father St. Jerome, the very reverend father Fray Fernan Yanez, then continued the work of the monastery as it was started and finished the church"

In 1389 they reached the monastery of 31 monks newborn Order of St. Jerome , carrying forward one of its co-founders, Father Yanez, whom Henry III wanted to archbishop of Toledo, without being able to collect their modesty.

Jeronimos Monastery monks ruled for more than four centuries (1389-1835). Between 1835 and 1908 the monastery became dependent on different pastors and suffered a huge decline. was delivered in 1908 to the Franciscan Order who mentored their restoration and preservation to this day.

The popularity of the sanctuary reached its peak during the time of the great discoveries of Columbus, who carried a mirror image, as did the Conquistadores.

Then came the dark years. In 1835 the secularization enjoyed what little French left and slowly the vast majority of Spaniards forgot the Virgin of Guadalupe. Their monastery was largely destroyed, their wealth fanned, he served until barracks ...

Alfonso XIII and the Primate of Spain wanted to repair ingratitude solemnly crowning in 1928.

The image is behind the main altar in a room called the dressing room, which is richly decorated. The decor is according to the queen of the sanctuary, who is perched in a modern glazed throne that was designed in 1953. Our Lady costumes can be seen in the "Showcase of the Relics", a fourth contiguous to the sanctuary.

 

THANKS TO OUR LADY

Too many to list. Remember only some of the most illustrious names and significant events:

Transtamare house had extraordinary devotion to the Virgin. Juan I To help in the battle of Aljubarrota sold his first throne. John II was sought between the monks counselor, earned the death of Don Alvaro de Luna. Doña María de Aragon and Henry IV (buried in the monastery) had the ecstatic father confessor Cabañuelas, of whom one of the most famous Eucharistic miracles of Spain is counted.

The life of the Catholic Monarchs have close relationship with Guadalupe. In 1464, Isabel having thirteen, is celebrated in the sanctuary his first concert with the Portuguese king Alfonso V, and the second in 1469. More than twenty times she came to the monastery to various reasons, and always looking for the shadow of the Virgin, finally ordering your will always be preserved in the monastery. Going to Guadalupe death visited her husband Ferdinand, who had been freed by the intercession of the Virgin of the assassination attempt in Barcelona 1492.

During the reign of Ferdinand and Isabel dos deeds that will forever define the profile and the historical mission of Spain in the world are conducted national integration and religious unity by taking Granada and the conquest and Christianization of America.

Devoutly was entrusted to Our Lady Queen Elizabeth, by the prayers of the monks, when the war of Granada. In Guadalupe was signed June 20, 1488 the royal letters to Juan de Penalosa, giving it powers to "constriñades the masters and people dellas (the ships) as may be necessary, to be with him (Columbus) so that they can take where for you it has been sent. "

If Virgin could they begin the trip, the Virgin could finish, because when the return they stormed rough storm in the Azores, was entrusted to Our Lady of Guadalupe, promising to go, he whom designare luck, to take a thick candle home, still the same admiral appointed to bring. So on the second voyage he named Guadalupe to the first island discovered-Turuqueira-at the foot of the image (29 July 1496) is devoted spiritual firstfruits of the New World, and he did baptize the first two Indians received the sacrament in Spain.

If to this we add that the great conquerors of America, born under the Virgin of Guadalupe in Extremadura region (Pizarro, Cortes, Ovando, etc..) Learned from children entrusted to her , do not miss us determined to take their devotion to the New She borrowed on world and in their difficult times, as did signally Cortes, who, thanks garment which, once sent him a beautiful lamp and a golden scorpion.

Thus we find the name of the Virgin of Guadalupe spread across American geography, from Tepeyac in Mexico, to Lima, via Guápulo (Quito), Potosí, Sucre, Pacasmayo, Ica, Chuquiabo, Misque, Trujillo, Cochabamba and Oruro .

When the last king of Spain, Alfonso XIII, girded him very beautiful crown, representing many predecessors yours on the throne and devotion, he could read it: Regina Hispaniarum, ora pro nobis (Queen of Spain, pray for us) : Recognition of this attribution of his kingship over all the Hispanic.

Because it was not only America, but wherever you put your Spanish plant. The Great Captain, your most devoted, led by Naples, Palermo, Messina. She helped Cisneros in the conquest of Oran and Cisneros in large law knighthood the divine, sent 300 freed captive by him to give thanks to him, then he also coming to hacerl 

or personally.

Was present at Lepanto Don Juan de Austria , Philip II in the war against the Moors of Granada, with Don Sebastian of Portugal in the Moroccan war (precisely was in Guadeloupe where Philip II was denied military aid and his daughter Isabel Clara), chaired the negotiations that led to the Iberian unity in time of this king.

The invoked the Count-Duke of Olivares at the Battle of Hondarribia, Alvarez de Sotomayor at the Battle of Budapest against the Turks (1686) , and sent his heart to always lain at his feet at the count of Alcaudete battles Temeswar (1716) and Belgrade (1717). Flanders was taken to the Duke of Alba and Isabel Clara Eugenia, Hungary Emperor Ferdinand, Carlos V to Germany, to the unfortunate Mary Tudor England. All the splendor of Habsburg Spain, whose kings visited countless times, offered their best votive offerings, spread devotion to the world. To Poland, Congo, Greece, met and prayed to the Lord through the intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe, to the distant India which led to the Portuguese.

Shone peculiarly Power of Our Lady in the release of captives , so that his devotees they were given special treatment surveillance in the slave markets of Barbary, by the alacrity with which attained freedom. Captive insigne who knew this experience was Miguel de Cervantes, who came to offer their chains after the captivity in Algiers.

It was St. John of God who heard Guadeloupe lip of the Virgin order to devote himself to the care of the sick , who were served, moreover, in the monastery so carefully, who became world famous for their medical schools where first practiced in Europe autopsy.

The House of Bourbon, less affects the sanctuary, also received many benefits from the Virgin. Monastery greatly helped Carlos III in the war against England, Charles IV against the French Revolution against England Godoy. And when the French invasion devastated Spain, the monastery was comprehensively overturned in support of Patriots pledging all the vessels of the Virgin.

On November 4, 1982 Pope John Paul II venerated this image. celebrated a liturgy of the word, and delivered a homily on the drama and human, social and Christian challenge of migration.